We Were Friends Ever Before We Were Lovers
by alae-megallen
Summary: Reese Lawson is a witch who befriends the Halliwell's when she is 15 but when her father forbids her from seeing them, she is thrown into a world of demon hunts and the underworld until she ends up on the Halliwell door step once more...
1. Coming Home

"_You_ are the most stubborn witch in the entire world!" Wyatt Matthew Halliwell yelled at the top of his lungs, storming down into the kitchen of the Halliwell manor with Chris in tow.

"_Me!?_ Your the one too busy going out on a _date_ than focusing on vanquishing this demon!" Chris retorted in a similarly heated voice.

"She's my _girlfriend_ and I told you I would be home tonight to help you with your neurotic demon hunting!" Wyatt said, turning to stare back at Chris with fire in his eyes.

"Okay, boys. Time out!" Piper yelled, coming into the kitchen to check on the commotion. She placed her hands on her hips and stared angrily at her two grown sons.

"Would you two stop fighting just for one minute so we can have some peace and quiet around here?" Piper asked, clearly tired and unimpressed.

"Sorry, Mom, Chris was just leaving." Wyatt apologised, turning to Chris while crossing his arms over his chest.

"_Me!?_ What the hell, Wyatt, you're such an asshole!" Chris returned, his voice rising with the irritation he was feeling.

"Hey! Enough with the language mister! You two, orb away before I blow you both up!" Piper said in her warning tone. Wyatt orbed away and Chris set his jaw in a grimace, clearly unimpressed by his "twice blessed" brother winning again. He orbed away as well, landing somewhere secluded in Golden Gate park to let off some steam. He didn't really hate his brother, in fact, he couldn't have asked for a more caring older brother than Wyatt. He just got on his nerves sometimes. Always the twice blessed, in every way, not just magic. The one who did well in school, the one who got all the girls and the one who always ended up being sensible and serious when it came to demon hunting when Wyatt always blew it off to be with his girlfriend. Okay, he may have been lying just a little. Wyatt did take his duty seriously, just as seriously as Chris did but the way he seemed to so effortlessly balance his life, to have everything right at once really pissed Chris off sometimes. He sat down under a large oak tree and let his mind drift...

Meanwhile, somewhere else in San Francisco Reese Lawson was feeling just as frustrated. Seated cross legged in the middle of her room, eyes closed and palms flat against her knees, she tried to concentrate. Tried to block out all her negative emotions, all the rage and sadness and let out a deep breath. Suddenly she felt the rage again bubble to the surface and her light bulb exploded over head and several books flew out from her book shelf, landing in a heap on the floor with a loud thud.

"Shit! That's the fifth time today!" Reese grumbled to herself, getting to her feet and tiptoeing over the mess of glass on the floor to replace the books in her book case and to sweep up the glass on her floor, piling it into the bin with several other broken bulbs. She sighed dramatically, knowing she had to get out of the house if only to steady her emotions. There was no way her powers were going to settle down unless she thought about something else and being in her father's cramped studio wasn't helping her any. Reese grabbed the blue pin stripe jacket from behind her door, pulling it over her white v-neck singlet and slipped on her black boots, tucking in the ends of her denim jeans before grabbing her keys and slipping out of her room, quickly sidling down the stairs and into the small living area, heading for the front door.

"Where are you going?" Reese froze, turning slowly to face her father as he butted out his cigarette in the ash tray by the sink and took a swig of his beer.

"Out." She replied bluntly, opening the front door and slamming it behind her. Reese tried to steady her breathing as much as humanly possible, knowing that the sudden levitation of inanimate objects wouldn't go unnoticed in the streets of San Francisco. She continued to wander along the busy streets, passing a happy couple, hands linked and an older lady walking her dog. They both took little notice as she passed by but if they had been able to read her emotions, they would have stopped dead in their tracks. Heartbreak, fear and pity. She was only twenty two but she had known she was a witch for many years when the pieces just started to come together and her experiences seemed to get stranger and stranger. Finally she had been sent a whitelighter to guide her and he had become one of her greatest friends. He was Sam, Paige Matthew's father, reformed from his grief and eager to help her embrace who she was and what she was destined for. She hadn't known who or what he was, only that he had helped her move on from her self esteem issues and her dark past. The oldest of one other sibling, Reese had been the victim of bullying her entire teenage life. Teased because of her weight, teased because she was different and she was victimised because of it. Everyone surmised she wasn't good enough and the rage built into a protective cage around herself. The first day she had known she was different, Greg, the one who taunted her the most, the dark evil in her life had pushed her over the edge. He had said one too many things, stripped her soul bare and scarred its shell. She had ran, ran away yet feeling a power pulling her, ripping her apart, wanting to get out. She ran til her legs felt like jelly and slumping in an alley, she let her emotions take over, sobbing and screaming until the earth shook with her power and her rage built into fury. She threw something, she couldn't remember what. But it exploded with the impact against the far wall of the alley and objects began to rise around her, a trash can here and a few broken bottles. Reese had thrown her arms out and they had shattered, chaos filling that one bubble of space in the world. Sam had come to her then in white and blue light and the concern she saw there was human, fatherly and she broke down her barriers and knew from that moment that nothing would be the same. Her brother had left San Francisco to work at a magazine in New York, a normal and dull life, eager to escape the family home as soon as he had been able to afford it. Her mother had passed away when she was six, the only nurturing figure she had had in her life and a very powerful witch. She had married her father just before Reese was born, love overtaking her common sense but when she began to realise the man that he truly was, it was too late and the following summer she had been murdered by Barbas, the demon of fear. Sam had been her neighbour, her confidant and her guardian angel. He had taught her everything she knew and helped her overcome her weight problems, with the help of her interest in martial arts and to find the confidence in herself that she needed to become who she really was. He taught her to trust in herself, trust her instincts and how to harness her phenomenal powers. She was telekinetic and could astral project, two powers that Prudence Halliwell had harboured as the oldest sibling of the Charmed Ones. She had known the Halliwell family since she was fifteen years old and they had helped her learn potions and spells and to overcome the fear of her powers. When she was seventeen though, Reese's father had put a stop to her regular visits to the Halliwell manor. She was young and scared and though her powers far exceeded the physical and mental hold her father had over her, she was too afraid to fight her own father and refused to use her powers against him. Since then she had been completely introvert, focusing all her attention on her growing strength as a witch and her martial arts, completely immersing herself in everything witchcraft, constantly hunting and vanquishing demons and lurking the underworld. Reese tripped slightly, stubbing the toe of her boot on the pavement, clearly not focusing where she was going. When she looked up though she realised she was standing outside the Halliwell manor, the stairs leading up to the front door looming before her.

"Stupid girl, they'll never forgive you for disappearing like that." Reese whispered, turning from admiring the familiar manor and shoving her hands deep inside her jacket pockets, only then looking up to see Wyatt Halliwell, a shocked and concerned look across his face at the estranged witch standing outside his home who had hadn't seen in four years.

"Ree?" He wondered outloud. She looked different than the last time he had seen her. Her hair was longer now, dark and wavy with streaks of blonde through it and her figure was curvaceous and toned, clearly her love for martial arts had really kept her in shape over the years. She was tall, though against Wyatt's tall stature she seemed small and frail and her shoulders were slumped in a manner that said she was in trouble. Wyatt didn't ask anything questions nor did he feel the anger well up in his gut that had happened so many times he had thought about her after she had disappeared but wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug and kissing her hair.

"God, Ree, we missed you so much." Wyatt mumbled into her hair, finally releasing her slightly so he could look down into her face, seeing her eyes glistening with tears.

"I know, hey, I'm really sorry. I just..." She began to explain, not really knowing what she would say or how she would explain her disappearance for the past four years.

"You don't have to explain, just come in with me. Mom will be beside herself when she sees you. I can tell she's missed having another girl in the house over the years." Wyatt said all at once, taking her hand softly in his own and stepping up the first two stairs.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Wy. I wouldn't blame them if they never wanted to see me again after what I did." Reese said in a small voice and Wyatt stepped back down the stairs to stand back in front of her.

"Then why don't you tell me?" He questioned in a concerned voice and Reese bit her lip before sighing deeply.

"Cliff notes version. Dad is an asshole." She replied, her eyes filling with a sudden raw anger that Wyatt had never seen before and it scared him.

"That's good enough for me. C'mon." Wyatt ordered with a small smile and Reese chuckled lightly at his sarcastic expression, already feeling welcome back into the Halliwell home. That was until she stepped in through the front door and came face to face with the person she had dreaded seeing the most.

"Reese? What the hell is she doing here?" Chris spat, not taking his furious green eyes off Reese. She had changed phenomenally since Chris had last seen her. Her hair was long and dark with wisps of blonde cascading across her shoulders and her body was no longer rounded but curvaceous and slender, her posture no longer slumped from years of teasing about her weight. Reese looked naturally beautiful in jeans and a singlet, her tailored coat sitting smoothly over her hips. Her eyes were just as warm and brown as he remembered, amber flecks dancing in their depths but the laughter in them had been gone for a long time. He watched her face fall at his spiteful words, watched as she wrinkled up her freckle spattered nose and she bit her lips, trying to hold back her emotions. It was what he knew she did when she was upset but didn't want to show it. Reese let go of Wyatt's hand and turned back around, hoping to make a quick exit back through the open door.

"I shouldn't have come here." She said in a small, meek voice and stepped across the threshold, only just catching Wyatt's voice drifting into the house.

"Mom, it's Reese, you have to stop her!" The urgency in his voice touched Reese deeply but it didn't stop the tight knot that had begun to form in her stomach as she remembered the steely look in Chris's eyes and the venom in his words. God, he hated her more than she had thought he would. She had left her best friend and hadn't told him why, left him wondering for four years. No wonder he had looked so betrayed. Reese continued down the stairs, tears springing into her eyes before she could stop herself but a tight yet gentle grip on her arm stopped her and she turned, instantly feeling herself encased in Piper's arm. Her familiar, comforting scent washed over her. Like freshly made cookies and perfume, it was like being home. Reese let her tears stop as she began to calm down and felt able to talk.

"Piper, I am so sorry. For everything. I shouldn't have left, I just didn't know what to do." Feeling safe and loved, her fears finally came crashing down and she couldn't stop herself from telling her everything.

"Dad forbid me from seeing you any more. I was too scared to fight him. I was walking and I just ended up here...God, I'm so sorry." Reese blurted out all at once and she felt Piper pull back from her slightly and was afraid she too would never be able to forgive her. But as Reese looked up into Piper's eyes she saw tears of happiness welling up and a smile was playing at the corners of her mouth.

"It's okay, sweety. We're just glad you're okay, we were all so worried for so long. Leo told us he could sense you but that you had blocked him from getting through. We didn't know what to think." Piper explained, grabbed hold of Reese's hands and squeezing them tightly before smiling again.

"It's so good to see you, Reese. You're all grown up." She added and at this Reese had to smile.

"Oh my god, it really is you!" Reese turned to see Melinda Halliwell skipping down the stairs toward her, an overexcited grin on her face, screaming in delight as she jumped at Reese, giving her long lost friend an over the top hug.

"Geez, Melinda, when did you get so big?" Reese said sarcastically, giving Melinda a warm kiss on the cheek.

"Just about the time I realised how much I kick ass!" The sixteen year old retorted, a pleased smirk across her face.

"Well, she certainly has her mother's wit!" Reese said to Piper and they both laughed.

"Come on, Reese. We'll get you settled back into your old guest room for the night. I think you need to get some rest." She said all at once, noticing the pale quality of Reese's face and the bags under her eyes.

"Thanks, Piper." Reese said simply, making her way into the Halliwell manor and up to her old room.


	2. Betrayal

"I can't believe she has the nerve to walk back into this house after what she put us all through!" Chris said, his voice rising in his anger, pacing back and forward across the attic as Wyatt poured over the Book of Shadows, searching for a particular demon.

"Chris, would you calm down! You don't really think that Reese just disappeared for no good reason for all those years?" Wyatt said, giving up on looking at the Book and crossing his strong arms across his chest.

"I don't know what to believe, bro. We were best friends and she just walked out on me like it didn't mean anything to her. And now she just walked back into our lives and that's suppose to be okay with me?" Chris said, his tone evening out and his anger turning into regret. He flopped into one of the old chairs in the corner of the attic and sighed deeply, brushing his hair back from his face.

"I think you should at least give her a chance, Chris. Whatever it is, it's something to do with her Dad and that worries me." Wyatt explained, his expression level yet concerned.

"Her Dad is an asshole." Chris stated calmly and Wyatt grinned.

"That's what she said." His expression didn't change but Wyatt saw Chris's eyes lighten softly, there steely quality vanishing entirely at the thought of his best friend being in trouble.

"Talk to her." Wyatt prompted but Chris's expression had already closed over and his eyes again squinted in anger before he orbed out of the room.


	3. The Father of All Evils

Reese sat gently back on the bed in her old room, the familiar curtains and smell washing over her, causing her to forget momentarily why her subconscious had led herself back to the Halliwell manor and the desperation she felt in her heart. Piper stood on the other side of the bed fluffing pillows and setting extra covers in the seat by the window, her glance flickering back in between Reese and what she was doing, clearly worried about her.

"Piper," Reese began, unsure of what to say. Piper stopped what she was doing and waited for Reese to continue.

"I think I'm going to need to stay here for awhile, I can't be home right now." She said, biting her lip and wringing her hands together.

"Of course, honey. You can stay here as long as you need, you know that."

"I'm gonna see if Wyatt minds orbing me to get a few of my things." Reese said, rising from her bed.

"Chris is home, he can take you. Chris!" Piper called and Chris poked his head into Reese's room hesitantly, seeing Reese standing half way between the bed and the doorway, her head watching her feet anxiously, hands shoved deep in her pockets.

"Yeah, Mom?" He asked, not looking at Reese.

"Would you mind taking Reese over to her Dad's place to pick up a few of her things?" Chris was about to protest but stopped himself at the stern look his Mom was giving him and nodded.

"Sure. Here." Chris said, grabbing a hold of Reese's arm and orbing out. They reappeared in the small space of Reese's room. A petite lamp sat on the bedside table, its meagre glow filling the room with warm amber light, casting shadows across Reese's face as she walked slowly to her wardrobe, pulling a bag from the top shelf, causing her top to slide up revealing the smooth skin of her back. Chris turned away, picking up a photo beside her bed and staring at it. It was of her and Chris when they were sixteen. Reese's arms were slung casually around his neck and they were both pulling faces, Chris's eyes were crossed and Reese was poking out her tongue. His Mom had taken that photo at his sixteenth birthday party but he had never known that Reese had kept a copy of it by her bed.

"Sorry your Mom made you come with me. I was gonna ask Wyatt but she insisted. And you know what Piper is like once she insists." Reese said and Chris turned around, an amused smile on his face before he could stop himself. He didn't say anything though but only glanced down at the full bag in her hands.

"You ready?" He asked and Reese nodded.

"Reese, get down here!" Reese froze, her eyes going wide and the fear Chris saw there was real. She was absolutely terrified. She quickly let her bag drop down on the bed and tried to walk casually to the door but her stance was slumped and she approached the door with shaking hands and turned back to stare at Chris momentarily.

"I'll just be a second." Reese said in a quiet voice and slipped out the door. She made her way slowly down the stairs, coming into the kitchen hesitantly and came face to face with her father. His face was stern and inquisitive and she could smell the liquor and cigarettes on his breath.

"I spoke to Mrs. Murphy today, the _Halliwell's_ neighbour." Her father began, spitting out the name like it was a bitter and disgusting taste in his mouth. He had always hated them and he had always hated her because of the powers she had. But he also knew that when it came down to it she would never use her powers against him and he knew that all too well and frequently used it to his advantage but the rage that had built up inside of Reese was pushing to the surface, threatening to spill over and for once in her life she didn't care. For once she knew that what he had done to her for the past four years was inexcusable and that her powers were not something he could punish her for. She was Reese Lawson, she was a witch and she was loved by the Halliwell family and to her, that was the only family she needed.

"You were _spying_ on me?" She spat at him, disdain filling her every word.

"I told you to stay away from those Witches! They're why your mother is dead, them and their magic!" Her father said, his voice rising in anger. Reese felt her anger grow into fury and the light bulb above their head flickered and buzzed and then exploded, a showering of glass reigning down on her father's head.

"_You_ killed my mother the day you married her! You punished her for her gift and she stopped using magic because you told her to! That she would be _safe_ if only she would stop! So she did and when Barbas came and took her life with the very thing she feared the most, she was defenceless because _you_ told her to bind her powers. You _killed_ her!" Reese's voice rose until she was screaming shrilly in her father's face, her power and her rage overcoming her so when the backhand came she didn't feel it until she had crashed back into the dining room table, her head smashing against the tiled floor as she fell. She tasted the metallic of blood in her mouth and its wet sensation against her neck but she got to her feet all the same, even when the room blurred in front of her. Reese brought her hand up and sent her father sprawling into the kitchen cupboard, the door shattering from the strength behind her power and her father's form buckling and falling to the floor.

"Reese, don't!" Reese heard Chris's voice behind her faintly but all she could focus on was her father and her need to destroy him and to destroy what he had done to her. She went to raise her hand again when she felt the arms pushing her hands back down to her sides and the familiar blue and white light that suddenly surrounded her. Reese looked up to find herself in the manor's attic with Chris still holding her arms firmly at her sides. She gulped in all the air she could, fighting the urge to push Chris away as objects crashed across the room. Chairs broke against walls and lamps and vases shattered into a million pieces as Reese let the rage engulf her.

"What the hell is going on up here?" In the distant recesses of her mind Reese caught the voice of Piper and several footsteps trumping up to the attic and in one clear thought she had slammed and bolted the attic door, using her telekinesis to bar them from blowing down her barricade.

"Reese? Reese! You need to calm down!" Chris said, his voice raised and as Reese fell to her knees, he wrapped his arms around her as the attic was destroyed around them, her pain taking all the air from her lungs. She tried desperately to suck in all the air she could, to breath normally, to stop the sobs that racked her quivering frame. She felt Chris using his telekinesis to deflect a couch that had come hurtling toward them and heard its distant crash become a deafening roar in her ears as her breathing began to slowly steady.

"Just breathe, Ree, just breathe." Chris continued to whisper in her ear and at the sound of his voice softening she began to relax. When she finally had her breathing under control she turned to stare at him and he grimaced at the tears in her eyes and brushed hair back from her face then placed it behind her head, pulling his hand back instantly with the wetness of blood.

"Reese, you're hurt." Chris seemed shocked by this, clearly not understanding the reason why her anger had come to breaking point.

"He hit me. I must have fallen and bumped my head." Reese explained in a low voice.

"He _hit_ you!?" Chris snarled, his eyes alight with rage and his teeth gritted together as he swore under his breath.

"I'm going to _kill_ that son of a bitch!" He roared, unable to control the anger that welled up inside of him at the thought of _anyone_ hurting Reese.

"Down boy. I think the attic is destroyed enough for one night, don't you?" Reese said, trying to lighten the mood, seeing the pure hatred that she knew had been in her eyes not long before.

"Now you know why I didn't come back." She said in a low voice, looking at the floor.

"You must think I'm such an asshole." Chris said with a shake of his head.

"No, you had every right to be angry with me. I should have told you." Reese explained and looked up into Chris's eyes, seeing the anger and the betrayal no longer there. She smiled softly at this and squeezed his hand.

"I understand why you couldn't though." He answered before muffled voices caught his attention.

"Chris!? Reese? What the hell is going on in there? Something's blocking the door, I can't seem to blow it up!" Piper called and Reese smiled, stifling laughter.

"Sound familiar?" Chris asked, amusement lighting up his eyes.

"Was that the time we were convinced by your big brother to block his bedroom door with our telekenisis so Piper wouldn't find out he was making out with Lucy Melvin?" Reese questioned, her lips quirking up into a playful smile.

"And when we realised we weren't gonna get anything out of it you orbed us downstairs so Wyatt could take the wrap." She finished, both of them laughing heartily at the memory. The pounding on the door continued.

"You okay?" Chris checked one last time before unblocking the door which instantly exploded into a million little pieces.

"Oops!" Chris said, realising he should have warned his Mom before she destroyed the attic door.

"Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on in here!? Piper said, instantly seeing Reese and Chris sitting close beside each other on the floor and the furniture shattered all over the attic.

"Woah." Paige breathed, peeking her head around to survey the damage. Piper looked back at Reese, noticing the drying tears on her cheeks and the concerned look Chris was giving her as she leaned her head forward, clearly in some kind of pain.

"Paige, can you go grab Wyatt? And make sure Melinda stays downstairs." At the serious quality of Piper's voice, Paige only nodded and disappeared down the hall.

"What happened?" Piper asked gently, coming to kneel by Reese to check her wound. It was bleeding freely but didn't look too deep but she guessed Reese would have a killer of a headache. Piper looked back up to study her face and saw the large bruise forming across her cheek.

"Oh." Was all she could manage to choke out, her hand instantly coming to her mouth in shock.

"He...hurt you, didn't he?" Piper asked, wanting to know for certain, the words causing her stomach to squirm and tie itself in knots. Reese nodded.

"I felt trapped, Piper. Sounds pretty dumb considering I'm a powerful witch, huh? But he had power over me and he knew it. It was the same power he had over my Mom." Reese said all at once, letting out a tired sigh. Piper nodded, understanding completely the situation that Reese had felt she was in. Tied to her Dad and tied to what he believed was right. She had been downright terrified of him.

"Not dumb." She answered simply and smiled.

"Woah! What the hell happened in here?" Wyatt walked slowly into the attic, taking in the chaos that lay across the floor then focused on three of the people he knew and loved sitting on the floor in the middle of the destruction.

"Heal now, talk later." Reese said and Wyatt obliged, healing her injuries but not asking any further questions. It was clear to him that she had had enough for one night.


	4. When the Walls Tumble Down I'll Be There

_3 months later_

"Urgh!" Reese proclaimed groggily, scuffing her slipper clad feet as she moseyed into the kitchen in sweat pants and a singlet, seeing both Wyatt and Chris sitting at the counter bent over steaming cups of coffee and generally feeling just as good as she was. She quickly swiped Chris's cup from the bench and downed the cup in large gulps, while he protested with a startled and annoyed, "Hey!" before grabbing back his cup and staring down into it with a grimace. Reese pulled up a bar stool beside Chris and put her head in her hands and sighed deeply.

"Please tell me again why we decided it was a good idea to go demon hunting last night? I swear I've had about five minutes sleep." Wyatt whined, sliding back his stool to sidle over to the brimming coffee pot to fill his mug again. He refilled the cup in Chris's outstretched hand and brought over a similar steaming mug and plonked it in front of Reese who murmured some form of thank you that he couldn't quite make out.

"Consider yourself lucky you got that." Chris replied, sipping his second cup of coffee.

"Agreed. I didn't even close my eyes." Reese chimed in, looking up with a smile when she noticed the full hot cup of coffee in front of her. She eagerly took it into her hands and began sipping it as fast as she could without scolding her mouth and sighed before scooting out of her seat to refill her mug again, slipping easily up onto the counter, swinging her legs back and forward as she continued to drink her coffee. The three of them sat in silence for some time, sipping their coffee and clearly wishing they could still be in bed but the truth was the adrenaline was still pumping in all of them from their successful vanquish and they were always too hyped up afterwards to get any form of shut eye.

"I've gotta go to work." Reese finally said, sliding back down to the floor and placing her empty mug in the sink before rubbing her aching temples.

"You're kidding, right?" Chris asked, clearly shocked that Reese was evening attempting to do anything today let alone work.

"Yeah, double shift. A Perfect Circle is playing tonight so it's gonna be crazy." She explained, making her way toward the kitchen door.  
"Orb me over in ten?" Reese asked and Chris nodded, his head in his coffee cup again.

"I can't believe she has to work." Wyatt said with a shake of his head, leaning his face against his arm, his eyes tired and blood shot.

"I can't believe we managed to talk her into demon hunting with us last night. She must know by now they always turn into an all night deal." Chris added, gulping down the last dregs of coffee in his cup and licking his lips.

"Ah, the collective charm of the Halliwell brothers. Gets them every time." Wyatt explained with an impish smile and Chris laughed.

"I'm afraid your mistaken. The Halliwell women are the one's with the charm." Melinda Halliwell informed them, entering the kitchen in her flannelette pyjamas and pouring herself a glass of milk from the fridge.

"Morning to you too, sis!" Wyatt greeted sarcastically before getting to his feet.

"Ready?" Reese asked, re-entering the kitchen in her signature hipster black pants and short sleeve work shirt, her hair slicked back into a bun and her eyes dark with mascara. She skipped over to Chris's position on his stool and wrapped her arms casually around his neck as he groaned in protest and slunk further down in his stool.

"C'mon sleepyhead! I'm the one who has to work right now and with a killer headache I might add!" Reese explained and finally Chris gained the courage to stand and grabbed Reese's hand before mumbling, "Be back in a few" and orbing out of the kitchen.

Reese stared groggily down at the numbers on her wrist watch, squinting slightly as her left eye blurred for a moment and came back into focus, blinking before discerning the time as 10:30pm and the thirteenth hour of her shift. Admittedly she had meant to be home by 7:30pm at the latest but Kara, the night time manager, had abruptly rung her at 7:00pm and quit and had then proceeded to burst into tears and tell her her life story and how much stress she was under and that she couldn't possibly keep working under such pressure. Reese knew that there was no way either Chris or Wyatt would be available to take over as she knew Wyatt would be seeing Emily and Chris would be down in the underworld, cloaked as some low level demon to get information. She knew better than to call for him when he was in the underworld, it was always to dangerous to even risk it unless it was life threatening. Reese rubbed at her temple and took a sip of icy water, trying to settle the nausea in her stomach before letting out a deep sigh, steadying herself before she slipped out from behind the bar to clean glasses off tables and wipe them down, watching couples laughing and groups mingling and generally having a good time. Reese watched for a moment as a couple sat close beside each other in a booth in the corner, him whispering something in her ear and her turning to laugh with him, both staring into each other's eyes, both so close but not touching except for his breath playing across her neck as he continued to whisper to her.

"Reese!" She only just heard her name being called over the commotion and turned to see one of the bar staff, Candice, motioning over to her urgently. Reese sighed heavily and swore under her breath, wondering what could possible be wrong now after a string of broken glasses and abusive customers. When she reached the bar she saw a stocky man with a stain on the front of his shirt looking about ready to punch something and when his eyes rested on her name badge "Reese: Manager" he stood up and leant across the bar and asked, "You the manager?" His breath smelt of strong liquor and he was sweating and stumbling slightly, clearly another drunk disgruntled patron.

"Yes, that's me. What seems to be the problem?" She asked, trying to keep her tone even and striving desperately to ignore the white hot pain shooting through her forehead.

"The _problem _is your _incompetent_ bar staff spilling a drink all over me! Then she offers to clean me up like I'm a _child!_" He spat at her, pointing his finger in her face and generally being a, well, an asshole.

"Sir, I do apologise for anything Candice may have done to offend you, it wasn't her intention. Can I offer you another drink?" Reese enquired, trying to sound sincere as possible. Usually she wouldn't have offered a drunk man another drink but if it kept him from yelling any more then she was happy.

"I don't _want _another drink! What I _want_ is an apology!" His voice rose into an irate yell and Reese's head suddenly exploded with pain. She turned to Candice who was standing back against the till, clearly worried by the whole display and probably wondering whether she was going to be fired.

"Candice, just apologise so we can get him out of here, please." Reese didn't mean for her voice to sound so stern but her voice was low and strained and her eyes filled with pain. Candice mistook this for anger and she saw tears fill the girl's eyes as she stepped forward and stammered a drawn out apology while the angry man looked on smugly.

"That's better, you dumb girl." He growled, then stomped off back into the crowd. Reese took one look at Candice and then she burst into tears, trying to wipe them away even as more began to flow down her face.

"Hey, it's okay Candice. You did the right thing. I just really wanted to get rid of him so he wasn't abusing us all night, okay sweety?" Reese tried to explain and Candice tried hard to stem her tears and give her a small nod.

"Why don't you go into the back room and relax for a minute and count the stock for me?" Reese offered and Candice smiled and grabbed the count sheet from her outstretched hand and said, "Thanks Reese" in a small voice before heading out the back. Shattering glass caught Reese's attention instantly and she groaned, trying to force the knot of agony in her head to the back of her mind before slipping out of the bar and helped the waiter, Byrant, clean up the mess of glass strewn across the floor.

"I am _so_ sorry!" He tried to apologise and Reese tried to smile but the thumping in her head was like a spade in her face and she grabbed the tray of glass from his hands instead and handed it to Devin across the bar who began sweeping it into a nearby bin with a dustpan and brush. Reese turned around again, the motion causing her head to swim phenomenally and the pain in her scull to come crashing down on her all at once. She tried to breath as sweat broke out on her brow but all she felt was the room swirling, the searing pain and the stinging of her eyes and blackness enveloped her.

Reese felt sluggish and heavy and like she had ear plugs in her ears. Every noise sounded muffled and far off and the thumping in her head was dull yet evident. She tried to open her mouth but it felt stuck down with cotton wool and tasted like vomit. She opened her eyes slowly, the bright fluorescent light overhead making her eyes sting and her head swim. Reese took in a breath, instantly feeling a tube in her nose and wiggling her fingers to feel the catheter she knew would be jabbed into the back of her hand. Her heart jumped in her chest, confusion and anxiety overtaking her at the unfamiliar smells and sounds surrounding her and she called out softly, the only person she wished to see.

"Chris?" Her voice was croaky and hoarse and she blinked furiously, finally opening her eyes fully and focusing in on the faces staring down at her, sick with worry. Reese took in the sight of Chris bent over her, his hand stroking her hair softly and his green eyes soft and concerned.

"I'm here." He breathed softly, sitting down again by her side and taking her hand gently. Reese looked up again and saw Wyatt sitting on her opposite side leaning forward in his chair, his hand squeezing Piper's tightly as she sat beside him, rubbing the back of his hand comfortingly.

"Hi." She said in a small, weak voice and tried to sit up slowly, pain washing over her and forcing her back down on the bed.

"Oh." Reese said with a groan, swallowing hard to stop the bile from rising in her throat and bringing up her hand to her head.

"What happened?" She wondered out loud, feeling the bed shift as Chris positioned himself next to her and began stroking her forehead again.

"You had one of your bad migraines, sweety. You passed out at work. Candice contacted us at home and let us know you were here." Piper told her, smiling and rising from her seat to run a soothing hand across her cheek.

"God, Candice...I was such a bitch to her. There was a customer, he was yelling at her and I forced her to apologise. I don't remember what happened..." Reese said all at once, her voice trailing off as she swallowed hard again.

"Can we go home?" She added, looking up into Piper's face and she crossed her arms over her chest and answered, "I'll go get the doctor" and left the room.

"Hey Ree, how you feeling?" Wyatt asked, sitting on the edge of her bed and leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"I feel like someone hit me in the head with a shovel." Reese pronounced, a tinge of sarcasm in her voice. Wyatt smiled at his brother across the bed, reassuring him that Reese was going to be okay.

"Reese Lawson, how are we feeling?" An unfamiliar doctor questioned, coming into the room and smiling before skimming over her chart.

"Better." She lied, her voice clearly sounding weak.

"Well, your blood work and scans came back normal, looks like you just ran yourself down and your migraine didn't help matters but if you would prefer being home tonight we can sort out your release papers. But if you feel any worse call me straight away." He ordered in a stern voice and Reese nodded and smiled.

"Thank you." Reese answered and the doctor excused himself from the room. Soon after a nurse entered and began removing the catheter and explaining Reese's medication for her, all the while chipper and smiling. Piper took in all the information for Reese, seeing her only just being able to sit up with the help of Wyatt and Chris who were looking at her, concern shining brightly in their eyes and Piper couldn't help but smile at the way Chris had begun to look at Reese. It was different from anything she had seen between them when they were growing up and somehow Piper knew this was just the beginning.


	5. In Future's Arms

"Morning." Reese mumbled sleepily, making her way into the Halliwell kitchen whilst brushing her messy hair up into a bun and plonking down on a stool beside Chris as he sipped a cup of coffee.

"Hey you." He murmured, looking up and smiling when he noticed the colour had returned to her face after her being so ill last night.

"How are you feeling? You look a little better." He said, concern crossing his face.

"Yeah, I'm feeling better. Or at least I haven't had to make a quick exit to the bathroom in a number of hours." Reese joked, a smile breaking out across her face and Chris laughed.

"Well, that's a plus. Got any plans for today?" Reese shook her head and looked up when she heard Wyatt enter the kitchen and plonked a letter down in front of her.

"You've got mail!" He said excitedly, sitting down beside her and waiting for her to open the letter. Reese took one look at who it was from though and got up from her stool and threw it in the trash with a sigh.

"You're not even gonna read it!?" Wyatt asked in disbelief.

"I already know what it's going to say. All it is is a reminder letter about our stupid high school reunion." Reese replied and rolled her eyes, clearly not impressed with the whole idea. The phone began to ring and Wyatt leapt to answer it only to begin chatting excitedly with the person on the other end.

"Hey Casey! Yeah, Reese just got the letter. You don't have a date, how's that possible!? Sure, I'd love to go!" Wyatt answered eagerly but Reese only shook her head in disbelief and joined Chris at the bench again as he too listened to the overly zealous phone conversation.

"I can see myself getting talked into this one." Reese muttered, grabbing Chris' mug and stealing a sip before returning it to the bench top. They looked up when Wyatt hung up the phone and smiled brightly at Reese but Reese only rolled her eyes again.

"Well, looks like I'm gonna be Casey's date to the reunion which means _you_ have to go." Wyatt ordered in a stern brotherly tone.

"I don't _have_ to go, Wyatt. And I don't _want_ to go!" Reese retorted, sighing dramatically before getting up from her stool once more and sliding back up onto one of the cabinets and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't see why your being so stubborn about this. Don't you wanna catch up with everyone again?" Wyatt wondered, not taking his eyes off Reese, fearing she would slip away or try to change the subject if he didn't continue to scrutinise her.

"I definitely don't. Everyone was a jerk to me in highschool and I wasn't exactly good looking either. You do remember I was quite a large girl back then." Reese tried to explain but Wyatt wasn't about to budge.

"Well I _know_ they won't think that now!" Wyatt answered, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Did you just waggle your eyebrows at me!? Because if you did, I'm going to have to punch you in the head." Reese retorted, extremely unimpressed with Wyatt this morning. Not only was she still half asleep and not feeling her usual self but now he wouldn't stop nagging her about her high school reunion. There were reasons she didn't want to go. Good reasons. All her life she had been overweight and high school was no different. She was constantly teased by her peers and shunned from social groups so when she finally embraced her powers and her new life she was happier than she had ever been. After that school was over and her love for martial arts had grown phenomenally and it wasn't long before her life was so busy with demon hunting and harnessing her powers that her figure became the slender and curvaceous woman she was today. She didn't need to remember who she had been or what people had thought of her. Though a small part of her was eager for them to see her changed and happy and larger part was terrified that it would be high school all over again and she felt powerless.

"So what if I wear a nice dress and people notice me. It won't change anything." Reese said, her voice low and slightly dejected. All the while Chris had been listening from his position at the bench, sipping his coffee and only moving once to refill his cup but he finally piped up and said, "_You've_ changed. They'll see that and they'll wish they had it." Reese smiled at that and gave him a small nod. He always knew how to make her feel better.

"C'monnnn, Reese, it'll be fun! Please?" Wyatt whinged, purposefully being even more annoying than usual to get her to relent just so he would shut up.

"No!" She replied simply, sliding off the bench and leaving the room in a huff.

"Very smooth, bro."

"I can't believe you talked me into this." Reese groaned, coming out of her wardrobe for the fifth time that afternoon and observing herself in the mirror.

"We'll have a great time! _And_ I get to show up with Wyatt Halliwell on my arm!" Casey squealed loudly, jumping up and down. Reese shook her head in disbelief at her over the top friend but couldn't help but chuckle and let a certain amount of butterflies rise in her stomach.

"Casey, he's one of my best friends, not an accessory!" Reese retorted in a joking voice before pulling a face at her outfit and turning on her heel, disappearing back into her wardrobe.

"Oh, c'mon Reese, what was wrong with that one!" Casey wondered as the dress in question flew out onto the floor in a heap followed by a muffled voice calling, "Too girly!"

"It's a _dress_, Reese, it's meant to be girly." Casey called back with a roll of her eyes. Not long after she poked her head out of her closet, smoothing down the fabric of her dress before coming to examine herself in the full length mirror beside her dresser. The dress was beautiful, slipping easily over Reese's curves in flowing silk. The neckline was tastefully low cut and when she turned to gaze over her shoulder, Casey caught the sight of the extremely low back of the dress, revealing most of the naked skin of her back and the small Egyptian tattoo on her shoulder blade. Her hair was twisted into a knot at the back of her head and the remainder of her hair was curled so that it cascaded loosely into the bun with a few loose wisps hanging down across her shoulders. Reese wore ruby red lip stick on her lips and her eyes were encased in mascara and a small amount of eyeliner, making her look like a glamour model from an old movie.

"Woah." Was all Casey said, her mouth open in a silent gape.

"I'm assuming by your inability to speak that I look alright." Reese wondered with a playful smirk and Casey's face broke out into a smile.

"Are you kidding!? You look absolutely gorgeous. Chris is gonna be speechless!" She continued in her bubbly, hyperactive voice and Reese couldn't help but grin and blush a little at the thought of the attention she would receive from Chris.

"How exactly did you manage to convince him to come as my date?" Reese queried her friend and Casey just shrugged and smiled. Knowing she wouldn't get anything out of her friend, Reese let another smile cross her face before picking up her small black bag and her heels, spraying on some rose scented perfume before heading for the door.

"Ready?" Reese asked and Casey beamed nervously and nodded her head and they exited the room together. They made their way down the hall, the noise of Casey's heels clicking against the wooden floor boards overwhelming the soft padding of Reese's bare feet as they made their way down the stairs.

"Oh, I forgot my earrings. Be there in a sec." Reese remembered before turning and racing back up the stairs and disappearing into her room. Casey rolled her eyes at her friend's attempt to delay the inevitable and decided instead to continue into the main living area where she found both Wyatt and Chris slouched low in one of the couches seemingly bored and unimpressed. When she entered though they both looked up and Wyatt let his jaw drop and a playful smile cross his face.

"Casey, you look amazing!" Wyatt exclaimed, standing up from the couch to wrap a casual arm around her petite waist. Casey blushed from ear to ear and thanked Wyatt quietly, placing her hand around his waist also as butterflies jumped inside of her.

"Are we ready?" Reese asked in an uninterested tone as she entered the room, clipping in her second ruby earring as she walked. What she didn't expect though was the awed silence that followed and the strange look that Chris was giving her as he finally stood up from the couch and stepped closer toward her. Wyatt was the first to compliment her, "Wow...Reese, I-um-screw this reunion. You and me. Bedroom. _Now_." He prompted and Reese smacked him across the chest and shook her head though she was smiling and clearly amused.

"You're such a sleaze, Wy." She muttered with a shake of her head. Reese turned when Chris took her hand and smiled at her, asking, "Ready?" before following Casey and Wyatt out the door who were chatting energetically. He leaned across and his lips grazed the skin of her ear as he whispered, "You look beautiful." Reese looked up into his eyes as he let his hand slip around her waist, touching the bare skin of her back and sending delighted shivers up her spine. There she saw the one thing she had been wanting for so long and not knowing where to find it. There she saw her future. And his name was Chris Halliwell.


	6. This Hate Was Ever Inside Of Me

Reese's stomach churned with butterflies as they made their way up the stairs and into the Penview High school (btw, I have no idea if this high school exists but in MY story it does ;) ), hearing the sounds of muffled music inside and the laughter of other past students catching up and generally having fun.

"Can we go home now?" Reese groaned, her nerves taking her over and the ability to run becoming quite apparent to her.

"No way, Reese! C'mon, it's gonna be fine." Casey reassured her, moving in between her and Chris and linking arms with her and they both continued to walk ahead of the Halliwell brothers, talking quietly and reminiscing as they pushed open the doors into the school hallway, seeing a group of people at the far end lining up for name stickers.

"I'd completely forgotten how lame high school was." Chris said to his brother, looking around him at the familiar corridor.

"That's because you refused to go to your reunion. Guess this is payback!" Wyatt prodded, smiling in amusement and Chris glared at him and shook his head, catching up with Reese who was waiting down the hall for him, fiddling nervously with her bag and biting her lip.

"Stop that before you draw blood." Chris ordered her softly, taking her hand again to try and comfort her and help bring her nerves under wraps.

"Sorry." Reese answered, too preoccupied with watching the door as more people entered the corridor and began walking towards them.

"Let's go." Wyatt prompted, his arm again around Casey's waist and the four of them made their way down to the table where a chubby girl with bright red cheeks smiled up at them and said, "Hi Casey!"

"Hey Crystal!" Casey replied excitedly as Crystal handed her her sticker name badge and then turned to Reese and a confused look crossed her face.

"I don't remember you being in our senior year?" She queried, turning to Casey for confirmation.

"What the fuck Crystal, it's Reese!" Casey exclaimed with a baffled shake of her head and Crystal's jaw dropped.

"No way!" She said, completely shocked by Reese's drastic change in looks and even the style of her outfit was definitely unlike her. She looked beautiful and most importantly, happy.

"Come the fuck on, Crystal, give me my damn name badge!" Reese prodded, waving her hand in front of Crystal's face to get her attention but a smile broke out across her face and she couldn't help but let an amused chuckle escape her lips.

"Holy shit, it _is_ you!" Reese rolled her eyes dramatically but she was still smiling and still clearly amused by the awkward exchange.

"Yeah, Crystal, it's me. Now, name badge?" Reese prompted and Crystal came to her senses finally and nodded before handing her the sticker which Reese stuck on her bag, not wanting to ruin her dress with a tacky name tag.

"At this rate we'll never make it inside!" Reese heard Chris calling from behind her with an impatient groan and heard Wyatt agree with him as they both slouched against the wall, waiting for their partners to stop fussing and chatting.

"Fine with me!" Reese replied, a devious smile breaking out across her face as she turned to face her best friend.

"Oh, no you don't!" Wyatt said, quickly scooting over to Reese and grabbing her arm tightly.

"Hi Wyatt!" Crystal greeted, her face red and clearly gushing at the sight of Wyatt Halliwell at the reunion, dressed suavely in a tuxedo and his hair pulled back and tamed by an elastic band.

"Hey there, Crystal." He replied in a friendly voice, smiling brightly. Reese just rolled her eyes at the smitten look that had come across Crystal's face and moved away from Wyatt's controlling grip and looked over at Chris.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?" Reese said and Chris nodded and wrapped his arm around her waist, leaving Casey to gossip excitedly with Crystal and brag about Wyatt being her date. At this Reese couldn't help but giggle under her breath and she felt the arm around her waist tighten and Chris bend down to her ear to ask in a low voice, "What the hell are you laughing at?" She turned slightly in his grasp and smiled up at him before replying, "Just finding it highly amusing that Wyatt is stuck listening to Casey and Crystal for awhile. I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see him for the rest of the night." Chris smiled at this, knowing that Reese was genuinely amused by the thought of Wyatt being stuck with two giddy women gossiping but he also knew Reese too well not to pick up on her attempt to distract him from them finally entering the gym where music was playing and people were dancing, some standing near the food and drinks table chatting and laughing and others in small groups talking intimately. He watched her run her hands over her dress, attempting to straighten it out and brushed a loose strand of hair off her face before releasing a nervous exhale.

"Stop fidgeting, you look hot." Chris demanded, his voice low but stern and when Reese looked up at him she knew he meant it.

"I really don't think I've ever heard you call a woman _hot_ before. It's slightly disturbing." Reese replied with a chuckle, not wanting to get too caught up with the many wonderful moments they had shared that night so far. Whether it was a whisper, a squeeze of the hand, a caressing of skin, it was like time continually kept coming to a halt whenever Chris found himself touching Reese in a way he never had before. It was subtle, friendly but somehow they both knew that it was so much more than that.

"I'm serious, Ree, stop worrying so much. What they think doesn't matter and you know it." Chris continued, never taking his eyes off her face, watching the many emotions playing across it until she finally nodded resolutely and let a smile quirk up the corners of her mouth.

"Okay, Confucius. I'll take your much needed wisdom in to account. And I guess I'll even try and maybe have some fun..._maybe_." Reese replied and Chris smiled and she felt her stomach flutter at his adoring eyes, his beautiful green eyes. She turned away to distract herself though her hand remained in his as they made their way further into the room, gazing around them at all the people.

"Reese Lawson?" Reese heard the voice first before she turned and stared up at Stacey Timmons, one of the people she had hoped very much to avoid. She was slim, trim, tanned and blonde and wore a soft pink dress which draped over her very pregnant belly. Spacey, Reese remembered calling her because she always looked really spaced out whenever she was thinking too hard. Which was, consequently, all the time.

"Hi Spacey, long time no see." She responded, forcing a fake grin across her face.

"Yeah, it has been. You look really great!" Stacey continued, admiring Reese's curvaceous figure and glowing skin, not even noticing that Reese had called her Spacey and was clearly not that interested in making small talk but she supposed she had to try nonetheless.

"How've you been?" Reese continued but she didn't really care. Stacey gestured down at her fat belly and beamed proudly, "Pregnant!" She said simply and Reese couldn't help letting a mock astonished expression cross her face.

"No way! Really!?" Stacey still didn't flinch at her words but only nodded giddily and laughed. She then looked over at Chris as if seeing him for the first time and asked, "Hi, I don't think we've met?" Stacey said and Reese saw Chris having a hard time not rolling his eyes. Clearly she knew who he was but it had completely slipped her mind.

"Chris Halliwell. I was a year above you." He replied simply and Stacey's face lit up at his last name.

"Oh! You're Wyatt's little brother! Wow, I didn't know you and Reese ended up dating after school. How cute!" Stacey gushed, talking excitedly and generally being extremely annoying.

"Ahuh. Well, I suppose we'd better go find Crystal and Wyatt..." Reese said then walked away, pulling Chris after her.

"I forgot how annoying she was." Reese muttered, shaking her head as they came to stand alone once more.

"I'll go get us a drink, okay? I think you need one." Chris said and Reese nodded before letting go is his hand and watching him walk away. She turned around to try and find Casey only to bump into the person she had dreaded seeing the most since she finished school. Greg Connors. The reason behind the outburst that had caused Reese's first power spike as a witch. The reason behind the sorrow she had felt curdling inside her all those years of high school. He was the source of her unease, all the bad in her, the over weight, angry high school student who they had nicknamed 'Greasy' because of her horrible acne. The one they referred to as 'the freak' because she had been different. And although now she felt whole, he was the only one who could tear her soul apart again. Reese knew in her heart his words shouldn't mean a damn thing to her after so long and after so much had happened but she couldn't help the overwhelming sick feeling in her guts or the sudden rage that simmered just beneath the surface.

"Hey, it's Greasy!" Greg said loudly, letting out an exuberant laugh that echoed through the room and sliced through Reese like a knife. She set her jaw stubbornly and felt the rage bubbling as she clenched her fists into balls at her sides and faked an amused smirk.

"That's fairly inaccurate don't you think?" Reese retorted simply, rolling her eyes for effect.

"You might not be fat or have acne any more but you're still a freak." Greg let a sly grin cross his face and a few of his friends who had been standing behind him began to laugh. The lights flickered slightly overhead as Reese's emotions collided together into one big mess in her gut, her soul tearing in two.

"God, I don't care." Reese said with a shake of her head and turned to leave.

"I heard your Dad hit you too because you were such a freak and he didn't love you." Greg spat, all the hatred he still felt for her rushing out to meet her. Reese felt the thudding of her heart crashing against her chest as her breath quickened and her rage stretched inside of her, anxiety overtaking all reason, hatred, fear, resentment. Of all the evils in the world, he was the one she couldn't detach herself from. He was her Bain and the one thing that had shattered her existence and caused the change in herself. She wasn't about to let him take her back there but her body, her gut, was fighting with the furious mix of emotions knotting and tensing her heart and soul and the fabric of herself began to tear. _Of all the people in this world, I despise you the most_. Reese's thoughts sounded so loud and angry in her mind, her soul was screaming at her to run, to get away from all of this but the stubborn side of her refused to turn and leave, refused to let him have the upper hand like he always did. In her heart Reese knew he was right. She was a freak, an outsider, unworthy and she always had been. It had all been a mistake, the power shouldn't have been hers. It was meant for somebody else. Somebody who saw between the lines, who sought the truth, someone with love and happiness encasing their lives. Someone with family and friends and the support and nurturing she hadn't had. The lights flickered again and then Reese felt her feet moving forward, swift and determined and she felt out with her powers, let it overcome her entirely, let the sweet breath of air it created across her soul caress her and warm her until she found what she was looking for, the narrow corridor now dimly lit and the light flickering feverishly as she approached. She heard a voice behind her, in the dim recesses of her mind she heard somebody calling her name but it didn't register. _I no longer have a name_. The rage this one man had unleashed had been the mere pinnacle waiting to erupt with fire and ice. Her father's hate for her, the loss of her mother. All these things had warranted the desolation of her demeanour and she no longer felt happiness, only pain. Her name was called again. _My name, I forget so easily._ She turned one last time, saw the figure at the opposite end of the corridor, moving ever closer and he saw the blackness clouding her eyes and felt the power absorbing her every fibre and he was afraid.

_Transport me now,_

_Take me away_

_To the place_

_I wish to stay_

The words were but a whisper but her voice trembled with grief and anger and then white lights surrounded her and she disappeared as the one who loved her cried out.


	7. From Friends To Lovers

"I don't understand. What the hell happened!?" Wyatt queried as he and Chris stood back in the Halliwell manor, having orbed out shortly after Reese had disappeared and reassuring Casey that they would find her.

"I'm not sure. I went to get drinks and when I came back she was walking out the door. I went after her and...God, Wy, I've _never_ seen her look like that before. Her eyes...They were black." Chris explained and Wyatt saw the fear in his eyes and knew something was very wrong.

"We need to find her." Chris continued and Wyatt agreed with a nod.

"Can you sense her?" Chris shook his head, pain clearly written across his face.

"Then we'll have to find another way."

_3 weeks later_

The walls were dank and moist, crusted over with dead moss and scorch marks and the floor was covered in dust and filth but Reese sat amidst it all the same, her hair hanging in tattered oily streaks and her eyes surrounded by dark shadows. She had long since abandoned the silky beautiful dress for torn grey pants and a frayed brown jacket, the white undershirt streaked with blood from a painful gash across her ribs from attempting to attack a demon, one whom she hadn't realised was an upper level demon and who was quite capable of fighting back. Her rage had disintegrated over the weeks she had spent in the Underworld, protecting herself from discovery by charms and spells but her magic was wearing thin and she was left only with a deep sadness that consumed her every thought, her every memory. All her thoughts had begun to unravel and rewind, eventually all coming to one conclusion. She needed Chris Halliwell, she needed him or she feared she wouldn't survive this. And a small piece inside of her cared greatly whether she lived or died and it wasn't willing to let go. She released a steady sigh, hissing as her side throbbed with white hot pain and the growing infection that had begun three days beforehand. She hunched against the wall of the silent corridor she had hidden herself in since the attack and let her protective guards down, let the last of her rage subside and the bitter exhaustion overcome her. She sat in silence for what seemed like hours, though it had been days and weeks she had spent alone with only her mind to keep her company. Reese let her head fall forward, defeat and tiredness overtaking her and the need to be home filling her every breath. The feeling of someone touching her hair shocked her out of her reverie causing her to jump and bat away at whoever it was before looking up into concerned emerald eyes and soft hands running through her hair.

"You came." She choked out quietly, her voice sore from screaming and crying out her rage. He didn't speak, only wrapped his arms protectively around her and orbed them home, preparing a hot bath for her and all the while in silence. Reese bathed slowly, letting the hot water run over her grimy skin, washing the stench from her hair and shaving her legs. She savoured the feeling of happiness and comfort that the manor gave her and closed her eyes. She got out and dressed and grabbed a cloth from the bench to dab at her inflamed wound, the skin tender and rough. Chris came in to check on her, noticing she was hurt and dressing her wound carefully before leading her to her room, all the while a tentative and protective arm wrapped around her waist. Reese fell beneath warm covers, her head hitting soft pillows and she breathed deeply, the familiar scent of her bed filling her nose mixed with the spice of Chris's aftershave and her clean hair.

"Stay." She whispered, her voice already laced with sleep. She felt the bed move beneath her, felt familiar arms pulling her close, felt warm breath against her lips and she opened her eyes momentarily, stared deep into his eyes and saw the reassurance she needed and the answer she had wanted to know for so long. He leaned in, his lips brushing hers tenderly as the warmth of his lips pressed gently against her own and the world faded away...


	8. Awakening

Reese slept for three days, sometimes mumbling in her sleep and other times lying completely still and peaceful but Chris was getting worried. As the sun rose on the third morning since he had found Reese alone and lost in the Underworld, he stepped out of her room momentarily to grab a cup of coffee, having barely slept a wink since she returned, worry overtaking his every thought. He padded into the kitchen and found Wyatt scrambling eggs in a large bowl while adding a pinch of salt and some chives. He looked up when his brother entered the kitchen and asked, "Still asleep?" Chris nodded and let out a tired sigh before replying, "She should have woken up by now." His voice was worried and irritated, not knowing what was going on in her mind as she slept or whether she was really okay.

"Bro, she was gone for three _weeks_, she's gonna need some serious time to recuperate both physically and mentally. Let her rest and stop hovering over her so much, she'll be just fine, okay?" Wyatt tried to reassure his brother and almost looked surprised when he nodded in agreement.

"Did you just listen to my advice!?" Wyatt queried, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Just this once."

Meanwhile Reese continued to slumber peaceful, her mind no longer haunted by her past, her inner demons had finally been vanquished and she was free. Since Chris had found her in the Underworld her mind had taken her to another place where fields spanned as far as the eye could see and the smell of spring blossoms filled her nose, the sounds of the grasses swaying in the wind filling her heart with peace and contentment. Trees grew tall and shaded her from the sun as she sat beneath the grandest tree of them all, taking in the view around her before gazing back down at the pages of the book she studied. A fairytale no less and one that made her smile. The Prince and his lover were free and united in their love to live eternally together. She looked up though when blue and white lights formed in front of her and an Elder by the name of Kalais appeared before her, smiling as she saw the peace in Reese's eyes and the strong will and power finally returning to her eyes.

"Kalais?" Reese stood up from the tree and closed her book, clutching it against her chest.

"It is time for you to return. Your heart and soul have mended here in this place of quiet and rest but life still passes by around you. You must go back and face your Destiny." Kalais spoke the words softly and evenly but her voice was filled with concern for Reese, having developed quite the soft spot for this young witch. When Reese had fallen into sleep her mind had drifted to this place, a limbo between the waking world and the world of dreams, The Path of Respite. Here Kalais had come to her, explaining the Elders had sent her hear to recover her soul and answer the questions that riddled her heart with anger and sadness, to become whole once more. They explained to her that time turned differently on The Path of Respite. That weeks would pass where she was but mere days would have gone by in the waking world. Though it had only been three days in the Halliwell Manor since Reese had fallen into dreaming, along The Path of Respite, it had been weeks or longer as the warm currents of air and the lessons that Kalais had taught her had begun to gladden her heart til her soul was freed and her being reformed, to be whole again. Reese nodded slightly at Kalais' words but she gazed about her longingly and closed her eyes, savouring the smells and the sounds and the sun on her face, warm and refreshing.

"Thank you, Kalais. For bringing me back. For making me realise what really matters." Reese said, surprising Kalais when she hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek.

"Take care, Reese. Your Destiny is not yet set in stone but take a care. The journey will not always be straight forward, do not falter." And Kalais was gone and in the recesses of Reese's mind she heard the sound of bird song and the smells of strong coffee and food filled her nostrils and her eyelids slowly swung open, letting them adjust to the soft early morning light beaming through her windows, rays of sun shining across the covers on her bed and resting on her hands. She moved her fingers slowly and let out a deep contented sigh, feeling refreshed and well rested. With a yawn Reese slipped out of bed and grabbed some clothes from the wardrobe before heading to the bathroom where she soaked in the steaming tub for an hour, letting her apple conditioner soak into her tangled hair and the rose bath oil sooth her skin and breathed the calming scents in deeply before smiling. God she had not been this happy in so long. How good it felt to be home and loved and to have let all her fears go. Reese let her head slip beneath the water then washed out her conditioner before peeling the mask from her face and washing it clean, the hot water filling like heaven against her skin. She stood up and got out of the tub, drying herself off before approaching the mirror to study her hair. She wrinkled her nose up at her long drab locks and decided upon tying it up into a messy bun and to book a hair appointment for the afternoon. She needed a change. Reese applied a soft rouge to her cheeks, some mascara and a small amount of peach lipstick before pulling on the dainty knee length summer dress, zipping it at the back before opening the bathroom door, letting the steam hit the cooler air and dissipate into the hall. She heard the sound of two male voices bickering in the kitchen and smiled as she made her way down the stairs, picking up their conversation as she got closer.

"Are you _trying_ to burn the house down!?" Chris queried in exasperation as the smell of thoroughly burnt toast filled her nostrils and Reese stifled a laugh, standing quietly outside the door, wanting to cherish the sound of their carefree bickering.

"No! I'm _trying_ to make breakfast! Stop looking over my shoulder, I can do it by myself!" Wyatt retorted, clearly wanting to make breakfast without Chris' interruptions.

"_You_ can do the pancakes, I'll be in charge of the toast. I really doubt Mom is gonna want to eat toast that resembles charcoal, do you?" Chris continued but Wyatt only muttered to himself. Reese slowly opened the door and peaked through with a smile, chiming, "Morning!" instantly getting both Wyatt and Chris' attention and they both broke out into happy grins.

"Hey there, sleepyhead! We thought you'd never wake up." Wyatt greeted, instantly pulling her into a tight hug.

"Jesus, Wy, way to suffocate a girl!" Reese squeaked, trying to get a word in through the tight embrace she was in. Wyatt let her go and returned to his job of flipping pancakes with an embarrassed apology. She let out an exuberant and happy laugh before turning her attention back to Chris who was staring at her wordlessly.

"Toast." She said simply and he looked at her confused.

"The toast is burning." Reese said and Chris' eyes widened and he raced over to the toaster where two slices of black toast popped from the toaster. He juggled them in his hands and placed them on a plate before grimacing.

"Nice work bro. You _really_ know how to make good toast!" Wyatt laughed, signalling the singed toast with his spatula before placing a golden brown pancake onto a plate. It all smelt so good. Reese stifled a laugh and glanced back over at Chris who was smiling also, clearly amused and glad to see that Reese seemed so much happier and carefree. He motioned for her to join him in the other room and she nodded before saying, "Your in charge, Wy. We're going to set the table." Wyatt replied with a preoccupied "Okay", attempting to make a smiley face with the pancake batter and Reese rolled her eyes before pushing open the kitchen door again and holding it for Chris to come through as well so they both stood alone together in the front room of the house, the sun streaming in through the stained glass windows, painting the room with translucent colour.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Chris asked sincerely, both standing an awkward distance from one another.

"I'm fine, Chris. Honestly." Reese replied with a smile but Chris wasn't convinced.

"You're sure? What happened? You just disappeared and I didn't know-" Chris was cut off when Reese closed the distance between them and kissed him passionately, all the emotions she had been holding back for him filling her heart with butterflies and he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him, returning the kiss with the same passion and longing. When they both broke apart for air, Reese said in a low voice, "I've never been better." Chris smiled then and wrapped her in a warm hug, breathing in the smell of her hair and the feeling of her fitting against him so perfectly. _God, how could it have taken me so long to realise how right this is_? Chris wondered to himself, smiling against her neck as he let his lips brush against her skin and felt her shiver against him.

"While I'd love to continue this somewhere more private, I'm really really hungry. Can we salvage some unburnt food?" Reese said, her voice tickling against Chris' ear and sending delighted shivers up his spine and his thoughts began to wander.

"Er, sure." He choked out, clearing his throat and letting Reese go as she smiled up at him then made her way back into the kitchen with Chris in toe.

"Forgot cutlery!" Was the first thing Reese said as she re-entered the kitchen then grabbed for the knives and forks already out on the bench and motioned for Chris to grab the plates and they set about placing out cutlery, plates and napkins on the large dining table, ready for the remaining Halliwells to join them as soon as they got up. Reese soon felt the familiar sensation of arms sliding around her waist and spinning her around and Chris' lips crashed against hers once more in an intimate kiss as it grew more and more heated by the second.

"Chris..." She moaned, pulling away reluctantly and staring up into his eyes.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Can't blame a guy for trying." Reese smiled at this and bit her lip before turning on her heel and disappearing back into the kitchen with Chris' adoring eyes trailing after her.

"Morning bro!" Chris turned to find Melinda padding down the stairs in slippers, sleep shorts and a short robe, still rubbing sleep out of her eyes but seemingly well rested by the smile on her face. He grinned back at her and hugged her around the shoulders and replied with a simple, "Mornin' sis" before letting her go so she could pass him and push her way into the crowded kitchen where Reese was pouring fresh orange juice into a jug and laughing boisterously, obviously amused at something Wyatt had done or said, catching "I can't believe you managed to make a smiley face pancake! You didn't use magic, did you!?" He heard Wyatt scoff and begin to defend himself as both Reese and Melinda looked at him sceptically as the door swung shut. He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear his Mom greeting him from the bottom of the stairs but managed to recover with a distracted, "Morning Mom", receiving a strange I-know-something's-up look before giving her son a hug.

"I'm going to guess Reese finally woke up?" Chris simply nodded and listened to the laughter filtering out through the crack in the kitchen door.

"How is she?" Piper wondered, pulling her long dark hair into a messy ponytail.

"She's good Mom. She seems a lot happier. I haven't had a change to ask why or what happened but I'm just glad to see she's okay." Chris said to her and Piper crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at her son.

"She's been through a lot, Chris. It's a surprise she kept it together as long as she did." Chris nodded in agreement, turning when the sounds of voices escaped the kitchen door as it swung open and Reese walked back into the room, a smile on her face and holding a plate full of pancakes and a large jug of orange juice while Wyatt trailed behind her with a mountain of fluffy scrambled eggs and the remaining unburnt toast balanced on one arm and a pot of coffee in the other. They laid it all out on the dining table and Reese smiled up at Piper and came over to give her a long warm hug while greeting her with, "Hey Piper." Piper hugged her back lovingly, keeping her hands on Reese's shoulders as she looked up to gaze at the young witch before her, seeing the resigned sadness and anger gone from her eyes and replaced with a new light that danced in their depths.

"I'm so glad you're okay, sweety." Piper said simply, leaving it at that. She knew that Reese would explain in her own time.

"Breakfast is served!" Wyatt called out as he brought in the last remaining plates, milk in one hand and a bowl of fruit salad in the other.

"Leo!" Piper called out and heard her husband padding down the stairs soon after, his hair freshly washed and smelling of cologne. He smiled and greeted his family happily and gave Reese a warm hug when he saw her awake and looking a lot happier than she had previously. Melinda popped out of the kitchen with a half full glass of orange juice clutched in one hand and pulled out a chair, sitting in the only vacant seat between her Mom and Dad whilst Wyatt and Chris sat beside each other with Reese at the far end and began piling food on their plates, laughing and talking while passing plates of food and empty mugs to be filled with steaming hot coffee. Reese piled three pancakes on her plate and topped it with a considerable amount of fruit salad before almost drenching the pile in maple syrup and both Chris and Wyatt looked on with gaping mouths.

"You're gonna eat _all_ of that!?" Wyatt prodded even though his own plate was similarly piled high with scrambled eggs, toast and bacon.

"I haven't eaten in over three days, give me a break!" Reese retorted, forking a large piece of pancake topped with strawberries into her mouth and chewing greedily before washing it down with a sip of hot coffee.

"I think it's just my amazing pancakes." Wyatt said in between bites, a proud grin on his face.

"That was an accident. It was all to save the toast." Chris piped up, shovelling egg into his mouth and heard Reese laughing heartily.

"Hey! You burnt the toast too!" Wyatt retorted, throwing his napkin at his younger brother.

"You two, quit it!" Piper said with a scowl, sipping her coffee and watching as her daughter giggled at her two bickering siblings.

"Yeah guys. Clearly Piper is better than the both of you combined." Reese dug at them and Wyatt and Chris looked at her, shocked and yet slightly amused.

"I am shocked and appalled!" Wyatt said, feigning hurt by clutching at his heart. Piper let a pleased smirk cross her face as she took a bite of her toast while Melinda was now giggling loudly at Reese shutting down her brother's so well.

"I love you, Reese! Can you stay forever?" Melinda said, clearly enjoying the women in the room finally having the upper hand. Reese laughed in between her last bite of pancake before draining her coffee cup and thanking Leo when he leaned over to refill it for her.

"Well, I'm full." Wyatt said, trying to muffle a loud burp which only made Melinda start laughing again.

"Wyatt Matthew Halliwell, where are your manners!?" Piper reprimanded her son sternly and Wyatt placed a hand over his mouth and cleared his throat before saying a quiet, "Excuse me" as Melinda continued to giggle, clearly finding it hard to stop now after such a funny morning.

"Okay, missy, enough of that. Don't you have an assignment to do?" Piper said to her daughter and Melinda pouted.

"But Mom!" She whined but upon seeing her Mom's don't-mess-with-me face, she obliged and pushed back her chair before excusing herself and racing up the stairs and disappearing from view. Piper turned back to the table and sighed, continuing to pick at her fruit salad as the remainder of the table sat back in their chairs, full and contentedly sipping coffee, deep in thought. Reese felt a warm hand running up her leg lightly, fingers tracing lines across her knee and she turned momentarily to send Chris a warning look but he only smiled mischievously and took a sip of his coffee and continued caressing her leg, pushing the fabric of her dress up to touch the bare skin beneath. Reese cleared her throat loudly and rose from her chair, gathering her plate and cup and a few of the empty bowls and headed into the kitchen, trying desperately to slow down her racing heart and the direction her thoughts had started to stray to. When she came back out into the dining area after putting hot bubbly water in the sink and cleaning her dishes, she found both Leo and Piper heading out the door, clearly off to run some errands and Wyatt was on the phone and had his car keys in his hands.

"I'll be there soon, Em." Wyatt said before hanging up.

"I'm heading over to see Emily. You two okay to clean up here?" Wyatt queried, hoping they would oblige.

"Sure, bro but you owe us!" Chris said and Wyatt only smiled and said goodbye before leaving the manor. Reese groaned again as she felt arms wrapping around her waist from behind and Chris' hot breath and soft kisses on her neck and shoulder.

"Chris, please. I'm having a hard enough time restraining myself without you doing that!" Reese complained but definitely enjoying the attention and the warm feeling that had taken over her stomach.

"Then don't restrain yourself." He whispered into her ear, biting down on her lobe and caused her to take in a quick intake of breath.

"Chris, your sister is upstairs. Stop!" Reese said more forcefully, knowing if she didn't put her foot down now she would be putty in his arms and he could do what he wanted with her.

"Okay, fine. But dinner tonight?" Chris offered and Reese smiled and nodded.

"Where in the world should we go?" Was his second question but Reese only bit her lips and let her smile grow, knowing the perfect place.


	9. Say The Words

The jetty was softly lit with glowing lanterns, the lights from the shore causing the blue green water to glow with colour, the stars wheeling overhead as a soft yet mild breeze blew in from the sea, the sound of small waves lapping at the shore the only sound. At the end of the jetty was a table, lit by candles with a few perfumed orchids surrounding them and Chris and Reese sat on either side and gazed out into the stillness of the night, enjoying the calm. Chris looked over at Reese and couldn't help but smile. She looked so happy and so beautiful. She was wearing a plain cotton white dress and her freshly cut and coloured hair was pulled back into a bun, her short fringe brushed to once side and a pink orchid peeking out from behind her ear. Reese noticed Chris watching her and she turned around from studying the ocean and took a sip of her champagne before rising from her seat and moving further down the jetty, hanging her feet over the side into the cool water and leaning back on her arms, turning her face to the sky. Reese took another sip of champagne as Chris joined her, leaning over to brush his lips lightly against her bare shoulder, noticing her skin goose bump at his touch.

"Why did you pick this place?" Chris wondered out loud, letting his breath carry across Reese's neck softly.

"It's perfect. The sea, the stars...you." Chris looked up from kissing Reese's neck and gazed into her eyes, seeing the same emotions crossing her face as were slowly filling his heart. He leaned in and let his lips rest against her own, teasing her by merely brushing them against her mouth, biting on her lip gently as her breathing quickened.

"God damnit, Chris Halliwell, just kiss me already." Reese demanded but her voice was merely a lusty whisper and he obliged, covering her mouth with his lips and letting the sweet taste of her mouth mingle with her intoxicating scent and the feel of her so close to him. Reese felt herself floating and when she opened her eyes she found herself sitting on the edge of her bed and Chris was sitting next to her, letting his fingers slide the straps of her dress from her shoulders. She pulled him up from the bed to stand at its edge and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him tenderly as she ran her hands beneath his shirt and up his naked back. He groaned with his lust and pushed the straps from her shoulders, letting her dress fall to the floor in a heap before pulling her up to straddle his waist, running his hands along her bare thighs and unclasping her bra before setting her back on the bed and climbing on top of her. His shirt flew across the room and they soon found themselves naked, lustful beneath the sheets, their breathing quick and their kisses filled with hunger and passion, the desire for skin on skin intoxicating til it became too much and the feeling grew til Chris was breathing heatedly in her ear, his words barely audible through his lust, "I love you." Reese wrapped herself around him, her body shaking and sweating and she brought her face up to his again and murmured against his lips, "I love you too."


	10. Breaking Dawn

The following morning Reese woke up to early morning sun in her eyes, the warmth of its rays splashing across the bed and causing her to smile. She felt Chris' warm arm slung loosely around her waist and savoured the moment of quiet the breaking of dawn held. Reese gazed out her window for some time, watching the world go by from her spot on the bed, wrapped in the sheets and covered in warm sun and she couldn't help but smile. She felt Chris stir beside her and felt his arm tighten around her and she rolled over to face him, staring straight into sparkling green eyes and a mop of messy brown hair.

"Hey." Chris said, his voice low and still laced with sleep. Reese smiled softly back at him and replied, "Hey yourself."

They lay in silence for some time, Chris trailing his fingers over the soft skin of Reese's bare arm as she felt her eyes slipping closed again, giving into a light doze at the monotonous and calming feeling of his hands on her. She let out a deep sigh as her body began to wake up again and she murmured against his shoulder, "What are we doing today?"

She felt Chris shrug and she felt his warm lips pressing gentle kisses against her eyelids before he answered, "Not moving."

Reese chuckled quietly, her face cracking into a wide smile and she closed her eyes again and gave in to his touch.


	11. Fear and Folly

"Demon!" Reese cried out as yet another fireball flew threw the attic, exploding against the far wall. She clung to the back of the overturned couch, her shoulder blistered and bleeding as she flicked out her hand, sending the next fireball hurling back into the demon's face, where it erupted and he disappeared in flames.

"Watch out!" Wyatt hollered as he peeked around the doorway into the attic, raising his arms and blowing up two of the demons that had just shimmered into the room but the other two were faster and shimmered out before one shimmered in again behind Reese. She instantly smelt the foul stench of the demon behind her and she swung with her leg out in an arch and tripped him, sending him slumping into the floor where she smashed a vial of potion against his face and he exploded into fire. It wasn't long after though that the second demon shimmered in beside Reese who was still crouched on the floor behind the couch but he didn't move to attack but only smiled at her evilly and said, "Compliments of Barbas" and shattered a vial against the wooden planks of the attic. A vapour lifted from the floor and slivered up Reese's nose and down her throat and was gone in an instant. She coughed as the foul smoke rose into her face before astral projecting behind him and grabbing another vial of potion from the side table and throwing it at him. It shattered across his back and he shrieked and exploded into fire. Reese returned to her body and turned in time to see Wyatt blow up the last demon before he helped Chris to his feet who rubbed his bruised temple with a grimace.

"Everyone okay?" She asked, trying to steady her breath and moving her burnt shoulder awkwardly. Both Wyatt and Chris nodded as Wyatt raised his glowing hands to Chris' temple until the pain in his eyes and the cut across his head were gone. Reese looked around the room and sighed at all the damage, overturned chairs and broken vials scattered across the floor, potions spilling out and some now completely empty from being used in the attack. When she looked up again she noticed a strange woman standing beside Chris with her arms slung around his neck, rubbing his chest seductively and smiling up at her and her brows furrowed deeply at Chris' unchanged stance and asked, "Who the hell are you?" Her voice was loud and angry, jealousy ringing true in her voice before she could stop herself. Wyatt was observing all of this by Chris' side, a perplexed expression crossing his face.

"Me? Reese, don't you know who I am?" Chris wondered, thinking maybe she had bumped her head or been put under some kind of spell that had caused her to forget who she was.

"No! _Her!_" Reese spat, biting back some seriously foul names that she wished to call this snake of a woman draped all over Chris. But as soon as she pointed to the seductress who had begun to kiss his neck, she was gone and both Chris and Wyatt were looking at her as if she had lost her mind.

"Who? Reese, there's no one here! Maybe you bumped your head..." Wyatt said, coming toward her and noticing the blistered wound on her shoulder and the absent look in her eyes.

"Chris, she's been hit." Wyatt explained, turning to Chris as he walked quickly over to Reese and winced at seeing the burns across her shoulder.

"_She_. Stopping talking about me like I'm not here! I'm _not_ crazy, I know what I saw!" Reese said all at once, clearly angry that neither Wyatt or Chris believed that she had seen someone. Chris of all people should definitely have been more trusting.

"Here, let me heal that for ya." Wyatt said casually, placing his hands over her wound before she could even comply.

"I don't want to be healed!" Reese fought back, pushing Wyatt's glowing hands away from the gradually smaller wound across her shoulder.

"I saw a woman standing beside Chris with her hands all over him. What I _want_ is for you to believe me!" She continued, her voice still rising til she was almost shouting at them.

"Ree, of course we believe you if you say you saw something. But let Wy heal you just in case, okay?" Chris offered and she glared at him.

"You two are unbelievable." Reese said with a shake of her head then turned on her heels and exited the attic.

Reese turned on the faucets and let the hot water flow into the tub, causing copious amounts of steam to fill the cosy bathroom and she breathed in deeply, hissing as the pain in her shoulder flared up at her movements before removing her jacket and observing the wound in the mirror. It didn't look as painful now, having been half healed by Wyatt but it was still enough to cause Reese a considerable amount of discomfort. She sighed and returned to the tub, leaning over to turn off the taps absently, instantly feeling hands erupting from the water and pulling her down. Reese plunged into the tub, her shoulder colliding harshly with the faucets and causing her to scream in a combination of pain and terror as the hands pulled her under. Fingernails felt like fire against her skin as the water began to cloud with her blood and she screamed again, bubbles rising from her mouth as she tried to suck in air and felt the searing burn of water down her throat, her chest on fire as she thrashed beneath the surface, trying desperately to push herself up and escape. Reese struggled to open her eyes, the hot water stinging as she desperately tried keep her eyes open, to not give in to the black spots dancing in her vision. Suddenly she felt the hands retreat and her body rose to the surface and she realised Chris had his arms wrapped around her back and Wyatt had a firm grip on her legs and collectively they pulled her out of the bath, her legs slipping over the rim where she crashed in a heap on the floor, Reese hacking and choking up mouthfuls of water as Chris knelt down beside her.

"What the hell happened, Ree?" Wyatt burst out, concern washing across his face at how close one of his best friends had come to drowning. Chris on the other hand had pulled her into a sitting position and wrapped his arms protectively around her as she huddled with her legs up against her chest, shaking wildly.

"Something pulled me under. There was something in the water." Reese blurted out, her voice shaky and her eyes terrified. Wyatt peered into the tub sceptically and said, "There's nothing in here, Reese."

"Just like there was no woman in the attic! Clearly you can't see what I'm seeing but I definitely didn't pull myself into a tub full of water and almost drown. Something is happening to me, I don't know what..." Reese explained, trailing off as she shook her head then her brows furrowed and she muttered under her breath, "Barbas."

"Barbas? He's dead, Ree. Mom, Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige vanquished him even before I was born." Chris explained but he saw Reese's eyes well up with tears and she merely shook her head and said, "No. He was the one who killed my Mom. I just never told you..." He looked at her then as if he had been slapped in the face and she saw the betrayal written clearly across his face and it made her stomach drop.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me Barbas was still alive!?" Chris spat at her, turning her shoulders to face him completely, his eyes glittering with anger.

"Chris, I couldn't. I-"

"You _couldn't_!? All this time, _everything_ we've been through and you couldn't tell me that one of the most powerful, manipulative demons in the Underworld is still _alive_!?" He continued, his voice rising in rage as he clutched tightly to Reese's shoulders and shook her.

"Chris, stop it!" Wyatt bellowed, watching as Reese shrugged Chris' hands from her shoulders and got to her feet, her eyes frightened and filled with a deep sadness.

"Why the hell should I, Wyatt? She _lied_ to us, she lied to _me_. How could you!?" Chris erupted, his voice loud in Reese's ears as he rose also and she flinched back at the overwhelming hate radiating from him.

"You want to know _why_ I didn't tell you? _Why_ I've kept this a secret for so long?" Reese queried, her voice angry, determined and filled with pain. Her question was rhetorical but her answer stung Chris deeply.

"Because if he finds out what my greatest fear is, he'll kill you!" Reese watched as her words made Chris' face soften and she saw the hate and anger disintegrate from his eyes.

"That's partly why I left too. I knew his power was increasing, I knew he would be after me next. I couldn't risk losing you because of what he would do to torment me." Reese explained and both Wyatt and Chris saw the determination in her eyes. All those years she had been protecting them and they hadn't known.

"You were protecting us? Babe, we're the Halliwell's, we could have handled it!" Chris said, a half cocky smile playing across his lips and Reese couldn't help but smile back.

"I couldn't risk it. And now he's been in hiding so long I just assumed we were safe from him. I should have known better." Reese explained with a shake of her head, clearly trying to think of what his next move would be now.

"I'm sorry but I'm still stuck on the fact that you just called Reese _babe. What_ is going on with you two!?" Wyatt queried in exasperation and he saw the sheepish look come across Chris' face and Reese bit her lip nervously.

"Um, well, you see bro, we..." Was all Chris managed to get out before Wyatt's eyes lit up with shock and his eyebrows rose considerably.

"Ew!" Wyatt replied, his face scrunched up in disgust and Reese stifled back laughter.

"Oh yeah, Wy, again and again." She said sarcastically, winking at him.

"_And_ again." Chris chimed in, seeing the completely mortified look on Wyatt's face.

"I don't want to know! Stop talking!" Wyatt demanded, putting his hands over his ears and leaving the bathroom where both Chris and Reese were smiling and laughing. He poked his head back in momentarily and said, "Congratulations!" before disappearing again.


	12. The First Plague

Reese stepped across the floor of P3 briskly, a cardboard box full of glasses rattling in her arms as she stepped through the door into the back room and placed them beside the other five boxes already piled on the floor and sighed before stretching her back.

"C'mon Reese, only three more to go. Then we need to set up for tonight." Piper informed her as she entered the back room and passed Reese to place a similar box down on the floor and turned, brushing her hands against her jeans.

She groaned in protest and walked back out to the service entrance and grabbed another box from the trunk before making a return journey to grab the last box.

When she came back out to begin helping Piper set up bar stools and tables for tonight she decided she had better explain to Chris' mother that she was in fact dating him, feeling bad enough for keeping it from her for this long. It wasn't that she hadn't wanted to tell her, though the Halliwell family could be a bit over the top when it came to love and dating, especially with Phoebe's husband being a cupid but Reese had just enjoyed the passed month or so with it being just her and Chris' secret. Of course Wyatt had finally found out what was going on between them, they had sworn him to secrecy til they had found it was the right time to say something. And now seemed like a good time to be honest with Piper while they were both alone and not likely to be interrupted.

"Piper?" Reese began nervously, biting her lip and taking a seat at the bar.

"Everything okay, honey?" Piper asked, instantly being the motherly and loving woman Reese knew and loved. She smiled lightly and nodded her head before saying, "I just wanted to...talk to you about something. It's important. It's about Chris." She said all at once and Piper's eyebrows shot up before she asked, "Is _he_ okay?"

Reese nodded with a smile and said, "Yeah, he's fine. Um, it's just that, well, we-" She bit her lip nervously and let out a sigh as Piper came to join her at the bar.

"Like each other very much?" Piper offered with a pleased grin and Reese parted her lips, clearly having not expected her to say that.

"Well, actually..." Reese began again, feeling slightly awkward about talking to Piper about how she felt about her son. He was her 'peanut', her youngest son and she was very protective of him and always had been. Especially after his alternate future self stumbling into Piper's life at an early stage, she had always been worried about losing him again and was constantly mothering him, much to Chris' displeasure.

"You love him?" Piper finished for her and Reese nodded, not being able to contain the smile that broke out across her face at the thought of how much she really cared about Chris. The fact that they had been friends for years had made their relationship so much stronger and so much easier, both not afraid to express how they felt after so long of keeping it hidden, both not wanting to hurt the other or wreck what they had. When Reese looked back up at Piper she saw the tears welling in her eyes and the smile across her face and she hugged Reese tightly and said in her ear, "I'm so happy for you both. Please take care of my son...he's a handful." Piper said which made Reese laugh and she pulled away and stared up into her face and saw just how happy Chris' Mom really was.

"You know I will." She replied and Piper got up from her stool and wiped away her tears before saying, "Well, enough of that. Back to work!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Reese retorted only to receive a glare from Piper.

"I'm going to start setting up out here. I'll need you to do a full stock count before we open tonight. Here." And Piper handed her the stock list and scooted at her and Reese complied with a smile and a roll of her eyes and made her way into the back room, pushing the door closed slightly so she could have some space in which to crouch in and check each box against the clipboard she held in her left hand.

It had been around an hour and Reese was halfway through the list. She sighed tiredly and straightened for a minute, stretching out the kinks in her back before feeling something slide across her shoe. She looked down at the floor, hearing the resonating sound of the door to the stock room slamming shut before her eyes rested on the floor of the stock room and she let out a terrified shriek at the black slithering snakes coiling around her feet, their hissing and rattling loud in the small space.

"Oh my god." Reese breathed, fear coursing through every vein in her body and her legs began to shake and her breathing became quick and frantic. She stepped backward only to hear the hissing of an angry snake followed by venomous fangs dug painfully into her leg and she screamed again and backed herself up again the door, swivelling to turn the door knob only to find it locked. Reese tried using telekinesis but her fear was making her powers go awry and the door only shuddered but otherwise didn't budge. She began to panic, fear ripping through her chest and making her gasp frantically for breath.

"Piper!" She shrieked, banging her fists against the door with all her might, continuing to cry out her name over and over as another angry snake dug its fangs into her soft flesh and she let out another terrified sob as tears saturated her face.

"Reese! What the hell is happening!? Open the door." Reese heard Piper's muffled voice call through the door but she only continued to bang on it yelling, "Piper! Help me! Please!". Her voice felt hoarse, her throat stinging from her screams and the tightening panic in her chest growing until it exploded and all she could hear was the slithering of snakes, all she could feel was the poison coursing through her body, making her dizzy and her head swim.

"Move back, I'm blowing up the door!" Piper called but Reese didn't hear her and the shock of the door exploding sent her flying into boxes of glasses. She felt them shatter beneath her, felt shooting pain through her back and then the spots cascaded in front of her eyes and she blacked out momentarily. Reese came to shortly after, her mouth opening in a wordless groan as the searing pain in her back came rushing back to her and the light overhead stung her eyes.

"Reese, sweety, just hold on. Wyatt! Chris!" Piper called out and moments later the familiar sound of orbing filled her ears followed by Chris' soft voice, "Mom, what happened?" and another figure came in to her vision and she saw Wyatt gazing down at her worriedly.

"I'm not sure. Wyatt, she's hurt badly." Piper said and Reese saw Wyatt nod before rolling her carefully onto her side. She wheezed audibly and the hot pain and the wetness across her back increased and she let out a cry, instantly feeling Chris' hand caressing her face.

"Just lie still." He said simply, his eyes clouded with concern and finally Reese began to feel the pain in her back subside followed by no pain at all. Both Wyatt and Chris helped her to sit up as she let out a shaky breath.

"Honey, what happened in here? Was there a demon?" Piper queried but Reese only shook her head and let Wyatt help her to her feet.

"Snakes. Lots of snakes." Reese said simply, her voice quivering with fear.

"Snakes?" Chris wondered out loud and she looked up at him and nodded and he saw the terror in her eyes and the tears threatening to spill over.

"One of my greatest fears. Followed closely by drowning..." Reese said quietly and finally Chris understood.

"Barbas." He growled under his breath and Piper seemed shocked.

"It fits the profile." Wyatt offered before Piper interjected with, "But Barbas is dead?"

"Not as dead as we thought." He answered his Mom with a grimace.

"The demon attack last week. There was a vial... I couldn't remember what happened but...I think it was some kind of potion. He said it was from Barbas." Reese said, trying to rack her brain, trying to remember what had happened when it all seemed clouded and blurry.

"I suggest we check the Book of Shadows, see if there's anything we missed." Wyatt suggested and Chris nodded before turning to Reese and grabbing her hand.

"Go home and get some rest. I can look after things here." Piper said with a smile before turning to her son and adding, "You take good care of her." Followed by one of her knowing looks and Chris nodded before orbing out with Wyatt close behind him.


	13. A Possible Future

_Three months later_

_Reese threw her arms out again as another fireball came flying toward her, deflecting it back to its owner though he was too fast for her and ducked just in time, the ball of fire singeing the wall behind him. He grinned at her menacingly then shimmered out only to reappear behind Piper where a sharp blade tore through the skin of her belly. She let out a sharp cry and fell to the ground, her eyes instantly glassy and her shirt soaked in blood._

_"Mom, no!" Wyatt cried out, running from his position behind the upturned table to her side. Reese saw him first, the demon with the fire in his hands again and she cried out, tried to move between Wyatt and the demon but he let out a startled "No!" before wrapping his arms protectively around Reese and shielding her from his fire. The fireball crashed against his back and she sprang back as Wyatt exploded into flames, screaming and disintegrated into a pile of ash on the floor._

_"Wyatt!" Reese wailed, the skin on her face and arms blistered from the heat of the flames. Racking sobs caught her attention and she swivelled in time to see Melinda's broken body on the edge of the stairs, blood soaking her shirt and trickling from her mouth. She was crying and screaming, dying when there was nothing Reese could do._

_"Melinda, it's okay. You're gonna be okay!" Reese tried to reassure her, placing a hand over her wound, causing Melinda to cry out._

_"Oh god. Chris! Chris!" Reese yelled to the roof but when she looked back down, Melinda had stopped crying and her glassy blue green eyes stared up at Reese, tearing her heart apart. She looked up when Chris appeared in orbs before her and the look that came across his face tore her apart. His family, all dead and his girlfriend left in the middle of it, sobbing, her hands covered in blood and her face blistered and bleeding._

_"Oh god." Chris wailed, falling to his knees beside Melinda, stroking her hair as tears sliced down his face. Reese was so focused on Melinda's still form, her lips now a slight blue and her eyes staring and vacant but when Chris cried out in pain she turned, seeing Barbas grinning menacingly behind him as he removed a sharp athemae from Chris' back._

_"Chris, no!" She grasped him tightly as he fell into her lap, his breathing ragged and his mouth filled with blood._

_"You'll be okay...okay?" Reese said in a whisper even as her lip quivered and tears fell from her eyes._

_"Baby I'm so sorry." Chris breathed, touching her cheek briefly before he closed his eyes, dead in her arms._

_"No! No, no no, Chris! Chris!" Reese shook him, sobs racking her frame, a complete numbness overcoming her._

_"Chris, please don't go please! I love you, godamnit. You can't leave!" She shrieked, at once turning when a demonic chuckle escaped Barbas' lips. She had completely forgotten he was there in her grief._

_"This all could have been avoided, Reese. You had to do it the _hard_ way. Had to bring the Charmed family into the mix. Look what you did...so sad." Barbas said, a fake pout crossing his lips and he licked them hungrily, obviously enjoying the sight of the Halliwell family decimated all over the floor._

_"What do you _want_!?" She shrieked, rage overcoming her, still clutching Chris' rapidly cooling body in her arms. Her whole life destroyed by him. And for what?_

_"I only want you. Come to me and I'll spare their _miserable_ lives." Barbas said, his voice sing song and cruel. He gave her a rotten grin and began to laugh, his voice dimming and fading and blackness overtaking..._

Reese breathed in a startled intake of air, shooting upright in bed, the room dark and her whole body covered in a cool sweat, her hair stuck to her head in a clammy mess.

"Baby, I'm here, it's okay!" Chris soothed, having been woken up by Reese's outburst. He hugged her tightly around the shoulders as she tried to steady her breathing and Chris added, "It was just a dream, you're okay." Reese sunk back down on the pillow and brushed sweaty hair out of her eyes before finally getting her thoughts in order. Barbas was after her, not the Halliwell's. All she had to do was stay away, all she had to do was keep them safe and go to Barbas and she would save there lives, all there lives. Reese drifted back into a restless sleep, finally having made her decision.


	14. Preparing for Battle

Reese threw punches and kicks at the wooden dummy so fast that the sounds of clacking wood and thumping blocks and punches resonated loudly through the basement along with her controlled breathing as she focused all her attention on the dummy before her. Her arms effortlessly twisting into block and punch, punch, block, punch until she was in an undisturbed rhythm of jab, cross, jab, block, jab, cross. She began to coordinate in leg work, timing the raise of her leg to block a kick, followed by a jab and block of the arms. Reese moved back and slammed her flat palm into the centre of the wooden block before moving forward again and continuing her work, barely registering when someone made a brisk decent down the stairs and sat on the bottom step before observing her work. She sent one more powerful jab into the centre of her dummy before stepping back lightly on her feet and taking in a deep breath, grabbing the towel slung over the stair rail and wiping her face as Wyatt handed her a bottle of water to drink from.

"Still training?" He asked simply, watching as Reese removed the strapping from across her knuckles and nodded simply.

"You've been training non-stop for over a month now. What's up?" Wyatt queried, concern crossing his face as he crossed his legs into a sitting position and clasped his hands together.

"Nothing's up, Wy. I just want to be prepared for anything. You never know what's coming next." Reese explained and Wyatt nodded slowly though didn't believe her.

"So, it has nothing to do with a certain Demon of Fear?" He wondered out loud and Reese stopped un-strapping her hands momentarily and looked pointedly at Wyatt.

"No. Besides, the potion we made to remove whatever Barbas did to me worked and he obviously didn't anticipate that. You don't need to worry about him, we'll figure it out." Reese lied, knowing full well that her plan was to prepare herself and not get the Halliwell family involved. It was too dangerous to risk their lives when it was her fight. Barbas was _her_ enemy and she had to deal with him by herself.

"Ree, you know you can come to me if something's wrong. I'm still your best friend, nothing has changed." Wyatt said, trying to pry out of Reese whatever had been bothering her this passed month.

"I know, Wy, and when something _is_ wrong I'll tell you but until then, wanna practise?" Reese asked, clearly avoiding the subject and though Wyatt would have usually continued to pry, there was also no way he was going to turn down a fight with Reese and the chance to beat her. Even if she had been training for awhile, he had still been fighting demons long before she was and knew a thing or two about defending himself.

"Oh, you're on, missy!" Wyatt said, rising from the stairs and grabbing the long sword that Reese had casually tossed at him, swinging her own in an ark and getting into a fighting stance.

"Prepare to have your arsed kicked!" He added with a cheeky smirk, swinging his sword from side to side with power and speed.

"I would _love_ to see that." Reese retorted, circling her opponent with a wide grin. She brought her sword up beside her face, its point directed straight at Wyatt and positioned her feet into a low grounded stance before swinging in an arc and clashing sword on sword with Wyatt, bringing her blade downward to push his sword away only for their swords to cling together once more in a fierce battle of will and speed. They matched each other strike for strike, Wyatt bringing his sword above his head to strike downward only to have Reese bring her sword across in a block before pushing him backward with her foot and swinging in for another blow which met the cool metal of his blade once more. They didn't notice Chris join them in the basement, nor did they see him take a seat at the bottom of the stairs, watching with an amused smirk as his brother and his girlfriend fought heatedly and saw his brother puffing and trying to keep up. He was never willing to back down, even when he knew he was out matched. He was just as stubborn as Chris was sometimes. He watched as Wyatt gained in her on, pushing his sword forward in a powerful thrust and Reese push all her weight on her arm, using the table in the corner as leverage and jumped high in the air, her legs skimming over the top of his lunge and rolling to her feet before turning on him once more, her blows powerful and ceaseless as she gained in on him. Reese swung a blow at Wyatt's head then unexpectedly kicked his legs out from beneath him as he blocked, then bent to place the sharp blade at Wyatt's neck, breathing deeply and her face covered in sweat from the fight. Wyatt put his hands up in defeat then got to his feet slowly as Reese brought the blade down from his throat and used her arm to wipe sweat from her brow.

"I think you just got your arse beaten, Wy." Chris chided, a delighted smile crossing his face.

"And by a girl no less." Reese added and Wyatt glared down at her and bumped her shoulder playfully.

"Just because you two are dating doesn't mean you can gang up on me all the time!" Wyatt retorted and Reese patted him on the shoulder and pouted.

"There there, Wy, I still love you." Reese said and received a glare from Chris which only made Wyatt laugh.

"You hear that, little brother? She loves me!" Wyatt retorted, waggling his eyebrows and pulling Reese into a suggestive hug.

"Urgh, Wyatt, get off me." Reese said in mock disgust, pushing him away then passed Chris on the stairs to go take a shower. Chris looked up at Wyatt once she was out of ear shot and asked, "Manage to get anything out of her?"

Wyatt only shook his head and sighed, saying, "She really won't budge with this one, bro. I think maybe she's in trouble." Chris nodded in agreement, his gut churning at the thought of Reese being in any kind of demon trouble. Especially when Barbas was involved.

"You have to talk to her, Chris. I know you said she told you nothing was wrong but if she _is_ in trouble we need to find out what so we can help her." Chris dipped his head in a nod again and bit his lip, leaning his arms against his knees in thought.

"The Elders are worried too. They can feel something big coming but they don't know what." He said whilst brushing shaggy brown hair back from his face.

"Then we need to find out."

Chris wandered leisurely into the attic that afternoon to find Reese standing over the potions table with a festering, smoky brew bubbling in the cauldron whilst sprinkling some herb into the mix which made it blow up a huge torrent of green smoke before flitting away across the room. She didn't look up when he entered but instead grabbed for some empty vials and began bottling potion while reading something on one of the pages of The Book of Shadows, her lips moving slightly as she read.

"What are you doing?" Chris wondered out loud, crossing his arms over his chest and standing looking at her from the other side of the table.

"Making potion." Was Reese's brief reply, her eyes still focused on the book while she placed a stopper in the fifth bottle of potion in her hand.

"What for? Is there a demon we should be worried about?" He queried her as she bottled up her last vial and wrote down a few notes on a blank sheet of paper before closing and replacing The Book of Shadows.

"No demon. Just being prepared." Reese said bluntly, a determined stiffness in her shoulders as she sauntered back across the attic and grabbed her shoulder bag from the floor, heading for the door but Chris grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Reese, what's going on? You've been acting so distant lately." Chris said, concern filling his voice and he saw Reese's eyes cloud over with emotion momentarily and she bit her lip, a classic trait that he knew all too well.

"Chris, everything is fine, I already told you that. I have to go out for a little while, I'll see you later." She said all at once, leaning in quickly for a kiss but when she pulled away she hesitated just slightly, though not enough for Chris to notice before she left the Halliwell Manor and channelled herself into the Underworld.

**Hi everyone, here's another new chapter for you. Hope you all like it, please please please review as I haven't received any since the past few chapters have been put up and I'm wondering whether it's even worth continuing! The next chapter is written and ready to be put up, I have a lot of ideas for some twists, it's going to get interesting :) So please, all your love is muchly appreciated and keeps me inspired to write! Thanks loveys **

**alae-megallen**


	15. Near Death Experience

Reese threw herself down to the ground just in time before a fireball collided with the wall behind her followed by loud shouting further down the corridor and the sound of heavy footsteps. She grabbed a potion out of her bag and threw it across the room where it collided with the demon's shoulder but he only snarled and turned back to face her. Reese telekinetically sent him flying into a wall before rising to her feet and hurling another vial of potion at the demon who shrieked in surprise and burst into flames followed by a sharp, fiery impact hitting her back, knocking all the air out of her and pitching her forward into the dirt. Reese struggled to get to her feet but her back throbbed phenomenally though she managed to push herself up on her elbows, her fingers reaching for the last vial of potion just out of reach. She felt something crushing her wrist and she cried out, instantly seeing the demon hovering above her, a wicked grin across his face and he grabbed the vial and tossed it across the room, the sound of it shattering filling Reese's ears. He snatched at her arm and rolled her onto her back, causing her to yelp in pain as dirt and stones dug into the wound on her back.

"So pitiful and _weak_." The demon spat at her before pulling a sharp athemae out of his belt. Reese tried to rise even though her back flared up with white hot pain but he was too quick for her and he drove the dagger home. She wheezed as the cool blade slid easily into her gut and it wasn't long before metallic filled her mouth. Reese let out a choked breath as agony overcame her. She hollered as the demon swiftly removed the dagger, wiping it clean on his coat, all the while with a pleased smile across his lips. Reese tried desperately to move but the pain shooting through every inch of her body was becoming too much and black spots danced into her vision almost as quickly as she tried to blink them away. He rose from her side, clearly savouring the moment of her death, listening to the struggling breaths of the dying witch at his feet and the smell of her pure blood. Reese closed her eyes, feeling out for the last time with her powers, enabling herself to push the demon off his feet long enough for her to use her last ounce of strength to locate the broken vial of potion metres away from her, using every fibre of her power to hurl the muddy dirt into his face as he tried to rise. The demon roared, the attack unexpected and he screamed as a fiery hole opened beneath him, swallowing him entirely. Reese panted as breathing became more difficult and the pain became too much but something inside of her wasn't willing to giving up, something fought herself to stay awake and save her strength enough to yell out, "Chris!" with all her might. She wheezed as another wave of pain overpowered her and Reese closed her eyes, her mind beginning to drift slightly as her senses began to dull. She felt something warm and reassuring against her face and she wondered whether she was dying, whether she was close to heaven and wrapped in its welcoming affection but a muffled voice broke into her subconscious and she felt the soothing hand against her forehead and someone calling to her.

"Reese? Reese! Baby, oh god, baby, can you hear me? Stay with me!" Reese forced her eyes to open slowly as she coughed up blood, staring straight up into Chris' face and there she saw the tears in his bright green eyes and the sobs racking him as his lip quivered in sorrow. He lifted her into his arms which only caused the pain in Reese's abdomen and back to increase ten fold before the familiar sensation of orbing wrapped around her and she found herself on a soft lounge in the Halliwell manor, Chris screaming Wyatt's name with all his might as Piper, Leo, Phoebe and Coop came racing into the room from the kitchen, horror written clearly across their features.

"Oh my god, Reese!" Piper shrieked, kneeling by Reese's pale and clammy form as she began choking on her own blood.

"C-Ch-Chris." She whimpered as blood continued to bubble to her lips and she saw the undeniable fear in his eyes. Reese knew then that he felt the some way she did. That losing him would destroy her and that losing her would destroy him and she tried with all her might to hang on just a little while longer, though her lungs were filling with blood and her breathing was almost non-existent. Blue lights materialised beside her and Wyatt was leaning over her in an instant, his hands shaking but a warm glow emanating all the same as she felt her body begin to heal.

"Why is this taking so long?" Chris cried out, his eyes demanding and terrified and Wyatt swung around to him, his emotions equally ravelled and yelled back, "Because she was almost lost to us!" The glow in his hands continued as Reese felt the pain fade away and disappear as she sucked in a deep breath and weakly pulled herself into a sitting position, her limbs feeling like jelly. Instantly she felt herself wrapped in Chris' arms, his whole body shaking with adrenaline and worry as he clutched at her tightly. Reese heard Piper clear her throat pointedly at the moment between Chris and Reese and she heard sets of footsteps clearing the room to leave them both alone. They both pulled away from each other slightly and Chris placed a gentle, loving kiss against her lips and sighed, releasing a tired breath.

"Can we go somewhere a little more private?" Reese asked quietly, her eyes brimming with tears. She had no other choice now but to tell Chris the truth and hope he wouldn't get hurt in the process. They were too connected now for Reese to deny her calling. She wouldn't let Barbas overpower her. She _couldn't_. Somehow they would find a way. Chris nodded and when Reese opened her eyes they were seated on the top of Golden Gate bridge and the sun was just beginning to peak above the horizon, the road below almost completely empty and a soothing breeze ruffling her hair.

"I don't know what I would have done..." Chris began but stopped when tears clouded his eyes again and he sighed and squared his jaw, trying to hold them back.

"I know." Reese whispered, staring up into his face, her eyes similarly filled with tears.

"Barbas threatened to kill you all if I didn't go to him. I thought I had no other choice..." Reese began, gazing down at the road below them and let her shoulders slump forward.

"You _always_ have a choice. You should have told us. We're more powerful together than divided." Chris explained, looking pointedly at her but Reese kept her head down and continued, "I didn't want you to get hurt. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you." She stood up from her sitting position and gazed out over the bay, the first rays of sunlight shimmering across the water and she saw Chris do the same.

"I saw you die in my dreams. I saw you all die horribly and it was all because of me. All he wanted was _me_. I was prepared to give him that. Anything to see you safe." Reese said all at once, the chill morning air whipping her hair about her face as tears ran in lines down her cheeks. She closed her eyes momentarily and drew her eyebrows downward, recalling that dream and how it had torn her heart asunder.

"We need to deal with this together. I _can't_ lose you. I _won't_." Chris answered, his voice low and determined and he turned to look at Reese, seeing the guilt that had been tearing her apart all these months surfacing and she let more tears escape her eyes, fearing the unknown, fearing what she had thought was a glimpse of the future.

"I can't, Chris. Your family is in danger because of me and I won't let him hurt them. I won't let him take you away from me." Reese said the last part in a whisper, her lip quivering with the raw emotion in her heart. How she felt about Chris couldn't be compared to anything she had ever previously felt. Her heart was on fire for him and she couldn't risk losing him because of an enemy she had known as hers since her mother's death. It wasn't fair on him and it certainly wasn't fair on his family. She wouldn't and couldn't force his hand and Reese knew more than anything else that if she wasn't able to protect him then there was no point in fighting the battle.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said simply, his voice soft and caring and when Reese looked up into his face she saw the unmoving resolve in his eyes. So sure was he of the battle ahead and in his eyes he spoke volumes, reassuring her that they were better off together, to fight together and to overcome whatever lay ahead of them. Chris grasped her hand softly and placed something small and cool in her palm. Reese looked down at her hand and gasped at the beautiful silver ring resting gently against her palm, the modest band inscribed on the inside with two simple words. 'Yours Always' and set with three small blue stones. The silver shimmered in the early morning light and she looked up into his face again and saw the smile lifting at the corners of his mouth.

"Marry me." It was a simple request and Reese smiled as Chris took the ring from her palm and placed it on the marriage finger on her left hand. She didn't say anything, only grabbed his shirt forcefully and planted a passionate kiss on his lips, feeling his strong arms wrapping around her before she whispered in his ear, "I'm yours always."

**Another chapter up, let me know what you think? Things are about to get very interesting! If I don't get enough responses I'm seriously considering stopping this story, I don't really want to as I have some ideas but I feel there isn't much point if people aren't enjoying it. Thanks guys!**

**alae-megallen**


	16. Of First Dates And Sisterly Bonding

"Reese! How long is this gonna take?" Melinda Halliwell whined as she tried her hardest to sit still at her dressing table while Reese sat beside her with a brush in her hand and all her concentration focused on Melinda's make up. She carefully drew a small line of shimmering green powder across the bottom of her eyelid before dabbing into silver powder and gradually lightening the effect.

"It will _take_ as long as it takes!" Reese explained with a sigh, obviously becoming impatient with Piper's daughter though equally amused that Melinda was so nervous over her date. She began to move her leg uneasily while chewing on her lip and Reese stopped the work on her eye make up to look up at Melinda and glare. She was an attractive girl and like Piper she had a flare for unwavering stubbornness and her spirit glittered in her chocolate brown eyes. Melinda was a relatively tall girl with a slender athletic figure from doing sport at school and wavy long brown hair that reached the small of her back. Her skin was fair like Piper's but her cheeks were always a rosy pink and her lips were full and most often smiling.

"Melinda Halliwell, _stop_." Reese reprimanded, using her full name and Melinda's leg stopped twitching at the no nonsense look that she was receiving and pouted.

"What if he doesn't like me?" She wondered out loud, again biting her lip nervously and clearly worried.

"He wouldn't have asked you out if he didn't like you." Reese answered simply, beginning her work again on Melinda's eyes once she had settled back in her chair and closed her lids again.

"But what if we get there and he changes his mind and he thinks I'm an idiot!" Melinda continued, her voice high strung and her nerves taking over. Reese held back a laugh and rolled her eyes before answering, "Then you blow him up."

At this Melinda started giggling as Reese finished her eye make up and couldn't help but laugh also. Both of them smiling and chuckling and generally enjoying each other's company.

"Now, hold still." Reese demanded as she plucked mascara from Melinda's night stand and unscrewed the top.

"But Mom said no mascara." Melinda explained though obviously she hadn't been happy about that decision. Reese let the corner of her mouth quirk up into a mischievous grin and raised an eyebrow before saying, "A little won't hurt. She can kill me if she wants."

Melinda only smiled and sat forward in her chair so that Reese could apply a modest amount of mascara to her lashes before sitting back and blinking quickly to get use to the feeling.

"You're becoming awfully daring since Chris asked you to marry him." Melinda said, remembering the exact moment that they had told the Halliwell family their happy news. It had been a massive affair with far too much food and the usual family squabbling, bottles of champagne and much needed girly talk between the Charmed sisters, Billie, Melinda and Reese who had overtaken the front room with cushions, chocolate and champagne, laughing and talking about the future and reminiscing over the past. It had been a wonderful night and one that Reese and Melinda especially hadn't forgotten. Since Reese had returned after her absence, herself and Piper's daughter had become closer and closer. Before Reese had left Melinda had just turned twelve years old and hadn't understood the reasons behind someone leaving who had become such a part of the family. She had thought for a long time that it had been partly her fault and that Reese hadn't wanted to be friends with her. But as she grew older and experienced more in life she soon realised that there were good reasons for Reese's disappearance and that in her own time she would return to the Halliwell family. And she had been right. Now Melinda was seventeen and her bond with Reese had grown phenomenally into something that they both wanted and needed. Someone they could confide in, someone they could trust and love as family yet still learn new things from everyday. They both knew that there friendship was stronger than anything Melinda had at school or anyone Reese had befriended over the years. In Reese's company Melinda felt safe. And not just safe from demons and dark forces but safe to share and to know she wouldn't be judged. Reese had become the big sister that Melinda had never had and she cherished that deeply. Melinda blinked softly out of her reverie as she heard Reese respond, "It _could_ have something to do with being Piper's future daughter-in-law." Melinda couldn't help but laugh again at Reese's sarcastic attitude, noticing the expression of contentment on her face and knowing she had finally accepted that whatever was meant to be would happen and that she just needed to go with the flow so to speak.

"We're gonna be related!" Melinda chimed in with a smile as Reese brought up two different lip glosses and looked at both colours before grimacing at the deep shade of red and handing the peach gloss to Melinda.

"What was wrong with the red one!?" She asked in annoyance, obviously having been quite attached to that colour of lip gloss.

"That's the same shade of lip gloss that your Aunt Paige wears on _her_ first dates. Not a seventeen year old daughter of a Charmed one." Reese said, her voice taking on that protective older sister tone without even realising it. She was clearly referring to Paige's rather risqué dress and nature when it came to men, though since she had married Henry that had changed just slightly but Reese had heard some stories about her past behaviour when it came to men.

"So!? Red is sexy!" Melinda retorted, her face unimpressed and she crossed her arms over her chest in a huff.

"Exactly! You're _not_ wearing it. Peach is nice, peach is safe." Reese explained, dabbing a small amount of the gloss over Melinda's lips even as a grimace came across her face and she sighed in defeat.

"Peach it is then, I guess." Melinda muttered as Reese handed her the gloss to put in her bag before squeezing her hands comfortingly and smiling at her.

"Okay, let's go over this again. Don't under any circumstances order a salad. Guys _hate_ chicks who eat salad. To them it isn't real food and it only makes them think you're insecure about the way you look." Reese began, her tone lecturing yet concerned, wanting Melinda to have the best possible time. She obviously really liked this guy and Reese didn't want her to be so nervous as to make a fool out of herself.

"But I _am_ insecure about the way I look!" Melinda explained, her nerves clearly getting the better of her again. She rose from her seat and slumped down on the bed and began buckling up her heeled sandals, her face worried and anxious.

"But _he_ doesn't need to know that. A strong, confident woman eats real food, preferably meat." Reese continued, crossing her legs Indian style and leaning forward in her chair. Melinda quirked an eyebrow at this and almost smiled as Reese continued to give her more pointers for the evening.

"Ask him questions. Even if it's as simple as what movies he likes or whether he enjoys reading. It's the easiest way to spark a conversation and a sure way to avoid awkward silences. Oh, and try not to mention anything, well, _supernatural_." Reese added and Melinda let out an amused laugh and replied, "Sure Reese. 'So Mel, tell me something about yourself?' 'Well, Brad, I can blow things up and freeze time!'" She mimicked, her eyebrows raised in a sarcastic fashion and Reese shook her head though her face was extremely amused.

"Trust me, it can happen. I almost told one of my dates once that rosemary was especially pungent in vanquishing potions. Luckily he had a rather warped sense of humour and was too busy trying to feel me up under the table." Reese shuddered at the thought of that rather disturbing date. Surprisingly it had ended rather abruptly with her slapping him in the face and storming off into the night. What a jerk. Melinda though, found this story to be quite amusing and burst into uncontrollable laughter, doubling over and holding her stomach as another wave of giggles overcame her.

"_So_ not funny, Mel! Although I did give him a rather powerful slap in the face for that. I'm surprised he didn't fall flat on his arse. He probably _still_ has a ringing in his ears." Reese explained, a large smile on her face as Melinda tried to control her giggles but at that comment she burst into laughter again, her sides aching and tears coming to her eyes. There was a knock at the door and Reese called, "Come in!" before turning back to Mel who was still giggling at the end of the bed, carefully wiping amused tears from her eyes and she looked up when Chris entered the room, his eyebrow raised in confusion at the amounts of laughter coming from Melinda's room.

"You guys okay in here?" He enquired, a small smirk playing across his lips.

"Oh yeah, bro. Reese was just telling me about an amusing date of hers that didn't end so well." Melinda explained, smiling at Reese who only glared back at her in annoyance.

"Oh, _really_?" Chris said, a tinge of mock jealousy in his tone and a 'do tell' expression crossing his face.

"Oh, yeah." Reese answered simply but didn't say any more, finally rising from her chair and grabbing Melinda's small black bag and grimacing when she saw the red lip gloss stashed haphazardly in its small depths.

"What did I say about the red gloss!" Reese argued, her hand on her hip and her other holding up the tube in question. Melinda looked sheepishly up at Reese who came over and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet.

"But I like the red gloss!" Melinda disputed with a pout but Reese would hear nothing of it and she put the red gloss in her pocket and replaced it with the soft peach tube before handing her the bag.

"You ready?" Reese queried, avoiding Mel's outburst and she let out a nervous breath and nodded before making her way to the door with Reese and Chris in toe.

"Wait, one more thing." Reese said suddenly, stopping Mel at the top of the stairs and looking at Chris pointedly before saying, "Girl talk."

Chris rolled his eyes, shaking his head as he made his way down the stairs and into the living area below where Piper, Leo, Paige and Henry were waiting. Reese looked at the girl before her, her stance jittery and nerve racked but she looked beautiful in her green summer dress and dainty sandals and she couldn't help but smile with pride.

"_No_ kissing." Reese said finally, her expression very serious and protective.

"Ree, I'm seventeen. I've kissed boys before and-"

"_No_ kissing." Reese said again, cocking an eyebrow but otherwise her expression was unchanged.

"If he likes you, he'll respect that." Melinda let out a deep sigh but nodded, understanding what Reese was trying to do. If Brad really did like her and she made it obvious she didn't want to kiss him on their first date then he would respect her decision and not push the matter. Its what she needed to know and Reese knew that very well.

"Wise words from my future sister-in-law." Melinda said quietly, an excited smile coming to her lips. Reese smiled back happily and wrapped Mel in a warm sisterly hug before following her down the stairs and into the living area below where her family beamed at her proudly. Piper began snapping photographs at every turn, much to Melinda's annoyance but she let her Mom have her moment and even twirled for her as she captured another shot.

"You ready to go, sis?" Wyatt queried, coming out from the kitchen while twirling his keys around his finger. Melinda nodded and turned for the door, Wyatt following behind her before Reese stopped them with her words.

"_Wyatt_ is taking you to the restaurant?"

"Yeah, Brad's car is in the shop so he couldn't give me a lift." Melinda explained, turning to face Reese in confusion.

"No, no, _no!_ Wyatt can't take you!" She said, trying to reach for Wyatt's keys but he held them out of reach and asked, "Why not!?"

"Having your big brother drive you to your first date is _lame_!" Reese admitted and Melinda bit her lip and had to agree.

"I'm driving her because _Mom_ told me to. She wants to make sure Melinda gets there safely." Wyatt retorted, hands crossed over his chest and his keys clutched protectively in his fists.

"Piper, I can drive her? I even promise to call you once I've dropped her off so you know she got there safe and sound. Hey, I'll even take some binoculars and sus out Brad from the car!" Reese said all at once and Piper smirked at her and folded her arms over her chest.

"Very cute, Reese." Melinda chimed in, glaring up her Reese with mock resentment.

"Just lookin' out for ya, Mel." She replied, her face breaking out into a cheeky grin.

"Take Wyatt's car. And you call me the _second_ you get to the restaurant, got it?" Piper finally decided and Wyatt let his jaw drop in annoyance and said, "But it's my car! It's old and you have to pump the clutch and-"

"I _know_ how to drive a stick, Wyatt. My Mum's old car was made at least six years before yours. Now, keys?" Reese retorted and Wyatt glared down at her in absolute annoyance and sighed before reluctantly giving her the keys, which only made Reese smile in triumph.

"Let's go, Mel. You don't wanna be late!" Reese said and Melinda smiled up at her, nerves and excitement again overcoming her before they waved goodbye to everyone and made there way out the door.

"I should have re-thought those binoculars." Reese said, stroking her chin as she pulled up in the restaurant car park and saw a sign for a small, softly lit Italian restaurant beside a small doorway. Melinda punched her playfully in the arm and laughed as Reese retorted, "Ow!" though she was grinning also.

"At least he chosen Italian. I'll give him points for that." Reese added, approving Brad's choice of restaurant and hoping that everything would go smoothly for Mel.

"I'm going now." Melinda said with a roll of her eyes, opening the car door and slipping out easily before slamming it shut, leaning against the open window.

"Be careful and have fun!" Reese said, again in her sisterly voice and Melinda smiled and nodded before turning to make her way into the restaurant.

"And no kissing!" Reese yelled out of her window but Mel didn't turn around only waved her off and kept walking. She smirked lightly before grabbing her cell phone from the console and dialled in the Halliwell's number. It rang twice before someone answered.

"Hey, Wy. Yeah, we got here safe and sound. He chose Italian. That's what I said!" Reese said, conversing with Wyatt briefly over the phone.

"What? I'm wearing the same damn thing I left in! You're such a sleaze!" Reese yelled into the phone in disgust then hung up before making her way back to the Halliwell manor.

**And yet another chapter up! I've taken into consideration a reviewer wanting more Reese and Melinda moments, so this chapter is entirely Reese/Mel and there will be more interaction between them in the coming chapters! I've tried to incorporate a bit of "real life" chapters in the mix of demon fighting and sad/angsty stuff to balance it out but the next few chapters are going to be jam packed full of action so please stay tuned and keep those lovely comments coming :)**

**alae-megallen**


	17. Our Little Secret

"This movie is terrible." Melinda said with a roll of her eyes, digging into the bowl of popcorn again, placing some in her mouth and chewing loudly. Melinda and Reese were sprawled out on the couch in the front room of the Halliwell manor the following morning watching The Craft and generally enjoying the peace and quiet, both from demon hunting and everything else in general. Of course beforehand Reese had demanded a step by step break down of Melinda's date last night, down to what she ate and if he kissed her, which he hadn't except for a tame peck on the cheek which Reese approved of immensely while Melinda wasn't impressed at all by her date being such a gentleman. She had explained that Brad was a really nice guy, had great taste in books and music and seemed to really like her. Melinda had been completely smitten as she spoke about what Brad liked and didn't like and how he made her laugh. Reese was definitely very happy for her and hoped they were going to be going out more often and that one day she would be able to meet him. Reese popped a piece of popcorn in her mouth and put her feet up on the coffee table, wiggling her toes, the red nail polish glistening in the sun streaming through the doors.

"It's a classic! I mean, granted they got a lot of things wrong but it still shows the power of magic and how it can be corrupted." Reese explained, trying desperately to defend the movie even though in truth she knew it was pretty lame but she still liked it all the same.

"You've watched this movie a lot, haven't you?" Melinda enquired with a smile and Reese shrugged before replying, "As I said, it's a classic!"

"Are you watching this movie _again_!?" Wyatt asked with a groan, squishing down in between Reese and Melinda before stealing the popcorn off of Reese and piling a handful into his mouth.

"Urgh! Why are you _so_ annoying!?" Melinda said with a scowl, shoving her brother in the arm to get him to move over but he only squished further against her, clearly attempting to get on Melinda's nerves.

"I'm not annoying, I'm charming!" Wyatt defended and Reese snorted, an amused smile crossing her face.

"Oh yeah, Wy, you certainly seem charming with your mouth full of popcorn." Chris chided as he came into the room, watching as Wyatt poked his tongue out covered with half chewed popcorn and Reese made a face.

"You are repulsive! Does Emily see this side of you?" She wondered, getting up quickly from the couch, her face squished up in disgust.

"That's why she loves me!" Wyatt defended and beside him Melinda began to giggle uncontrollably.

"Thanks for the support, little sis!" He added in a huff as they continued to bicker over the popcorn.

"Well, you two have fun." Reese said with a roll of her eyes and backed out of the room with Chris following behind her. She looked down at her sleep pants and singlet before deciding on going upstairs for a shower.

"I'm going to go for a shower, I'll be quick." Reese said to Chris, noticing his impatience and seeing his mind ticking over with a plan as he constantly bit his lip and had his hands shoved deep in his pockets to stop from fidgeting. She wrapped her arms around Chris' neck and leant up to place a loving kiss against his warm lips before drawing back, his bottom lip trapped lightly between her teeth.

"You sure you don't want me to join you?" He whispered, a cheeky grin coming across his lips and Reese smiled back and let go of his neck before answering, "I won't be long."

When Reese came bounding down the stairs again she was wearing a cream knee length skirt with vertical pleats in the fabric and a pink satin singlet, her hair damp and tied back from her face, her short fringe messy and a small white flower clip positioned just behind her ear. She wore white sandals on her feet and a bright smile on her face when she saw Chris walking out of the kitchen brushing his messy hair back from his face and clearly preoccupied until his eyes rested on Reese and a crooked smile was on his face in an instant.

"You look beautiful." He said in a small voice, wrapping a leisurely arm around her waist and pulling her close.

"I want to show you something." Chris continued, waiting for Reese to nod her approval before he orbed them out of the Halliwell manor. They came to rest not long after on soft grasses, the wind strong and smelling of salt and a sound like thunder echoing around them. Reese turned from staring up at Chris and looked out over the blue green ocean as they stood perched above its crashing depths atop a grassy hill, white flowers dancing in the breeze and gulls calling to one another across the deafening sounds of the ocean. Reese gazed over the edge down to foamy waves hitting the mossy rocks below and she couldn't help but stare wordlessly at the natural beauty surrounding her. The feel of the salt spray against her cheeks and the warm morning sun, it was perfect.

"Where are we?" Reese asked in amazement, unable to take her eyes off the beautiful scene before her.

"That's a secret." Chris whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her cheek. He turned her around in his arms and kissed her lips lightly before grabbing her hand and saying "C'mon" before leading her toward a large tree she hadn't seen before, all the while twisting her engagement ring with his thumb as they walked. When Reese and Chris got to the tree she smiled, seeing the blanket laid out beneath the tree, a bottle of champagne and a plate of elaborate sandwiches, clearly Piper's doing.

"What's the special occasion?" Reese asked with a bright smile, gently getting down on her knees and lying on her side on the blanket while Chris poured champagne for them both.

"I just feel like we haven't had much time for anything lately. It's all been so chaotic." Chris explained whilst handing Reese a glass of champagne. She took a sip and nodded before replying, "Yeah, well, when it comes to love, your family can be a little overwhelming." He smiled at her honesty and watched as she gazed out over the view once more, sipping her champagne with a peaceful curve to her lips.

"You're part of that family, you know. You always have been." Chris said, taking a similar sip of his drink before leaning back on his arm and taking in the view.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way." Reese said, turning to Chris with a playful smirk before finishing off her glass of champagne and lying back upon the blanket, resting her hands softly against her stomach and looking up at the sky. Clouds scudded overhead leisurely and a group of birds glided on the sea breeze, enjoying their freedom. Chris' face suddenly hovered above her and in his eyes she saw just how much he loved her and just how perfect he was to her. He leaned in and captured her mouth suddenly, caressing her face with his hand and deepening the kiss as she buried her hand in his hair and pulled his face closer. When they broke apart he stared down at her for some time, admiring the curve of her lips, tracing the soft flesh with his thumb before leaning down again, whispering against her lips, "I love you, future wife."

Reese smiled, feeling the warmth of his mouth so close to hers and she replied simply, "I love you, future husband."

**A bit of an in between chapter, mainly to show a bit more of Chris and Reese's relationship as its become now after he proposed. I also just watched the ep of Charmed where Henry proposes to Paige, I didn't even realise I totally ripped it off! Haha. Anyway, please review and stay tuned, next chapter is where things get interesting ;)**

**alae-megallen**


	18. The Return of Fear

"I am becoming impatient. How much _longer_ is this going to take?" Barbas snarled, his hands clutched behind his back as he paced the roomy chamber in the Underworld. His feet crunched against stone and dirt as he trod from one corner to the other in a bid to distract himself from being so close to freedom.

"We are almost there. You must call upon her as soon as the spell is complete." A low level demon explained, a thick pile of parchments leaning across a stone table as he inscribed words on it in ink before adding one final ingredient to the potion bowl sending a cloud of black smoke into his face.

"She knows of our plan, she will be ready." Barbas explained, licking his lips and closing his eyes momentarily, halting his pacing to reach out with the little power he had to warn her that they were almost there.

"Barbas, we are ready to proceed." The demon said with a bow and Barbas turned, his eyes alight with excitement and anticipation and he paced quickly toward his minion who held a small vial of black liquid within his grasp and one sheet of parchment scrawled in text.

"Begin." Barbas growled, his crooked smile showing off his sickly rotted teeth and the elaborate flick of his hand bidding his minion to start the ritual. He began to chant...

_We call upon the Lore of Olde_

_Its power we beseech to hold_

_To free what's trapped in space and time_

_To unleash The Fear_

_That lives inside_

His minion threw the bottle of potion, the glass exploding against the ground at Barbas' feet, the black cloud rising and slivering around him, seeping into every pore of his being before an enigmatic wave of energy reverberated off Barbas, pushing his minion to the ground and causing the walls to shudder with his power. The low level demon got to his feet slowly and stammered, "Did it work?"

Barbas stared down at his hands, rotating them to stare down at his palms with an evil crooked smile before answering, "There's only one way to find out." He threw out his hand as it instantly filled with fire, hitting the demon square in the chest who shrieked in pain and surprise and disappeared in fire. Barbas laughed then, a hollow cackle of ultimate power and freedom before he swung around in an ark, triumph clearly written across his face and said in a singsong voice, "I'm back" then disappeared.


	19. Battle on the Horizon

Piper stood in the kitchen of the Halliwell manor and leant down to pull three trays of warm cookies out of the oven before using her foot to close it and turning around to place them on the bench to cool. Phoebe was in the kitchen with her sipping a cup of coffee and chatting about Coop and the kids but when Wyatt, Chris and Paige orbed collectively into the kitchen both Piper and Phoebe looked up in concern, instantly knowing something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Was Piper's instinct to ask, her hands on her hips and all her attention focused on her two sons and her sister.

"The Elders felt a _very_ big power spike a couple of hours ago and they located it to the Underworld." Paige explained, arms crossed over her chest and clearly worried but trying not to show it.

"One guess as to who that would be." Phoebe piped in and they all agreed.

"Barbas must have done some kind of spell to free himself. Should we be worried?" Piper asked and Wyatt nodded.

"The Elders think this could be the crucial event they saw coming though they can't be sure what it is." Wyatt explained, his words and expression serious for once which only made Piper more on edge.

"All we know is it's bad. _Very_ bad." Chris piped up, sitting down at the kitchen bench and sighing dramatically. Clearly they were all very tired from a very long meeting with The Elders and it showed.

"We have to tell Reese." Phoebe said, looking up from her coffee cup to look at each of the members of her family in worry.

"Tell me what?" They all turned as Reese entered the kitchen, her hair freshly washed and pulled up into a bun and wearing casual brown linen pants and a white spaghetti singlet. Chris scooted back his stool and stood up, standing in front of her and taking her hand before studying the ring on her finger momentarily before saying, "Barbas has escaped the Underworld." Reese's face went deathly pale and she swallowed hard as a lump began to form in her throat. She clenched her jaw tightly, trying desperately to mask her emotions before asking, "How?" Her tone was low and dangerous and she stared at the worried faces around her before Paige finally spoke.

"Some kind of spell or chant. The Elders felt a large surge of power a couple of hours ago so we assume it has to be Barbas." She explained and Reese nodded simply and stared down at her feet, avoiding Chris' concerned gaze.

"Sweety, it's gonna be okay, we're gonna find him." Phoebe said, having stood up from her position to stand beside Reese and squeeze her hand comfortingly. As their flesh came into contact she let out a startled gasp, her face frozen for several moments before she sucked in a series of deep, petrified gulps of air and looked up into Reese's eyes and they were filled with tears.

"Pheebs, what did you see?" Piper enquired, moving closer toward her and Reese, concern filling her voice.

"Barbas." Phoebe said simply, turning to look at Piper as she did before turning back to Reese and saying, "Killing Reese."

"What!?" Was all Chris could think to say, seeing his girlfriend's face growing paler by the second.

"Well then we should find him and vanquish him before he does." Reese stated resolutely, her eyes dark with anger and determination but Phoebe only shook her head.

"No, you can't. You were in the Underworld when he killed you. We can't risk you being there with us. You _have_ to stay here." Phoebe demanded but her eyes were soft and filled with concern for Reese.

"For all we know he twisted your premonition because that's what he wants us to think!" Reese argued, her voice heated but quivering with emotion.

"No, Reese. I felt your pain. This was very real." Phoebe tried to explain but Reese wouldn't hear any of it.

"You can't _force_ me to stay here. I can't let you fight my battles for me. I _won't_!" Reese said in a loud voice, her heart filling with rage and guilt. How could she stay here and not fight a battle that was her fault to begin with? Clearly Barbas had a grudge to settle against her and she couldn't have the Charmed ones risking their lives for her.

"Reese-" Chris began softly but Reese swung around and pointed her finger at him and said, "No!" in a stern voice.

"I _can't_ lose you." She said, her voice still filled with anger but her eyes were filled with tears.

"Well, I _won't_ lose you. If Phoebe's premonition is right then sending you down to the Underworld is suicide!" Chris tried to explain as Reese's shoulders slumped forward and she stared down at the ground.

"And what if you're wrong? What is something happens to you?" Reese asked, tears spilling from her eyes as her lip quivered.

"It won't. Not if we all go." Phoebe said in a determined nod and they all agreed.

"But-" Reese tried to protest but Piper wouldn't hear anything of it.

"No, Reese. You're family and we fight to keep our loved ones safe. No matter what." She explained then wrapped Reese in a tight hug, kissing her cheek and stroking her hair comfortingly.

"Then we better get ready. We've got a battle to fight."

"Got the spell?" Paige asked, squeezing potion into empty vials as she looked over her shoulder at Phoebe who was poised over The Book of Shadows with pen and paper.

"Almost done." She said with a sigh and Paige nodded and continued filling bottles, some with potions to stung, some to kill and one extremely potent potion to vanquish Barbas with, along with the spell that Phoebe was preparing.

"Okay, we've got crystals, potions and _more_ potions. How's the spell coming along?" Piper said all at once, coming into the attic in jeans and a long coat with a shoulder bag slung over her shoulders and bottles of potion in her hands.

"Just about finished." Phoebe chimed in, not looking up from the book.

"I've narrowed down Barbas' position in the Underworld. It should at least give us a fair idea of where to find him." Chris said leaning his palm against the table top as he let the crystal swing across the map of San Francisco, hoping at least to get a lead of his location in the general vicinity, though they could never be sure how far down he was.

"Good. Where's Wyatt?" Piper asked just as her eldest son entered the attic, his arms piled with swords, a couple of athamae's in sheathes and an axe.

"An _axe_? What do we need an axe for?" Chris asked, his eyebrow raised at his brother's arms piled with weaponry.

"To chop off your head!" Wyatt said, swing the axe in an ark and attempting his best evil voice.

"Okay, you two. Enough! I think we're ready." Piper told her sons and they nodded grimly, instantly stopping their joking around and focusing on the battle at hand.

"Spell's done. I'm ready when you are." Phoebe explained, folding the spell in half and sliding it into her pocket securely. Reese peeked her head into the attic then, a folded piece of paper in her hands and she bit her lip timidly and looked up at the Halliwell's then let her eyes rest on Chris.

"We'll meet you downstairs." Piper said to Chris as she passed him, squeezing Reese's hand reassuringly before heading downstairs with the remainder of the family in toe.

"Here." Reese said simply, pushing the piece of paper into Chris' hand as tears welled up in her eyes.

"It's to summon a witch. If you're in trouble, just say it and I'll be there, okay?" Reese explained in a low voice, staring into his hand solemnly.

"Baby, look at me." Chris said softly but Reese couldn't bring herself to look into his misty green eyes. He lifted her chin with his fingers and stared at her as tears spilt onto her cheeks even as more welled up in her eyes.

"Just come back safe." Reese demanded, her voice quivering with emotion and her lip trembled.

"Of course I'll be back. I still have to marry you, don't I?" Chris said, his mouth turning into a grin and Reese couldn't help but let a soft smile cross her lips for a moment.

"Then hurry back so we can." She whispered then felt his lips crash passionately against hers, all the pain and love they were feeling pouring out into that one kiss.

"I love you." Reese said through her tears, continuing to kiss him.

"I love you too. I'll be back before you know it." He said before leaving her alone in the attic to watch her love disappear from sight. 


	20. Oh, Let Her Fade

"...then _x_ must equal 3?" Melinda enquired, staring down at the pages of her work book with a furrowed brow, seemingly deep in concentration though not making much sense of Math at all. It all just seemed to be a jumble of words, numbers and letters that Melinda frankly didn't care about. She looked up briefly from her work book when there was no reply and saw Reese sitting back in her chair, wringing a pencil impatiently in her hands and chewing her lip nervously, her mouth moving every now and then as if she were running possibilities over in her mind. She began tapping the pencil absently against her opposite palm before Melinda waved a hand in front of her face and said, "Hello? Earth to Reese?"

Reese blinked and looked up at Melinda in confusion, obviously so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even heard her question.

"What were we talking about?" Reese asked offhandedly, again twisting her hands tightly around the pencil, clearly unable to keep still. Melinda sighed and slumped her shoulders forward, clasping her hands together before looking back up to observe Reese. She was wearing a fitted pair of indigo jeans and a white lacy singlet under a burgundy velvet coat, her hair curled around her face and her cropped fringe brought to one side. She always seemed to hold such an air of composure, even when her walls were crashing down around her, even when her gut was twisting into knots on the inside, to the untrained eye she was always ready for anything. And tonight was no different.

"Reese, it's okay. We don't have to do this. _Really_." Melinda pleaded, hoping she could distract Reese enough so that she wouldn't have to endure any more of this unbearable subject known as Math. She stood up from her spot behind her desk and added in a cheerful voice, "I'm sure Dad could use some help in the kitchen?". She went to take a step across the room when she caught Reese's unimpressed glare before she said, "Sit" in a monotone, no nonsense voice.

"But _Reese_! Can't we just accept that Math is _not_ my strong point so I can blow up my text book?" Melinda complained, throwing her arms up in exasperation before they landed on her hips. She let out a deep sigh and flopped back into her chair, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting unattractively.

"There will be _no_ blowing things up on my watch! I may be engaged to your brother but Piper would still _kill_ me!" Reese argued back with a swish of her hand, still clutching the pencil tightly between her fingers.

"Would you put that thing down? You're making me nervous!" Melinda complained, plucking the pencil from Reese's hand before she had time to react.

"Hey! I was using that!" She retorted, bringing her eyebrows down into a scowl.

"No, you were choking the poor thing. I'm surprised there's any pencil left." Melinda explained, her expression sarcastic and a small smirk coming to her lips.

"You have been spending _way_ too much time around Wyatt." Reese replied in a mutter, rolling her eyes to the ceiling and clearly frustrated by the fact that Melinda was bugging her almost as much as her big brother could.

"Does that mean I win?" Melinda asked with a wide, cheeky smile and Reese snorted and was about to answer when the sound of shattering glass and a hollow thud echoed from downstairs followed by silence. Reese was out of her chair in an instant, her head cocked slightly to the side and listening intently for any further noise. When the manor remained eerily silent, she turned around to face Melinda who's eyes were wide in fright and worry for Leo who had been downstairs in the kitchen. Reese swallowed hard and set her jaw determinedly and said just above a whisper, "Stay here. Don't let _anyone_ pass this door."

Her tone was dangerous and filled with authority and though Melinda wanted to argue that she should accompany Reese downstairs, she saw the steely quality of her eyes and knew what she had said had been an order, not a request. Melinda nodded her understanding before pulling the first draw of her desk open and pulling out a satchel filled with potions and turned back to the door, signalling she was ready for anything. Reese licked her lips nervously before pulling the door open slowly and peering down the hall. Nothing there. She slipped outside cautiously, keeping her back to the door as she felt the click of it closing before the sound of a lock turning resonated loudly down the hallway. Reese stepped as soundlessly as possible across the wooden floorboards, stopping every now and then when one creaked beneath her feet before continuing down the first flight of stairs. She peaked her head around the corner and through the slats of the stair case leading down into the bottom floor of the Halliwell manor, seeing the broken vase shattered across the floor and Leo's still form sprawled over the rug, a deep cut bleeding freely across his temple. Reese placed a hand over her mouth to stop herself from gasping, hoping with everything she had that Leo was okay. She warily began the decent down the last of the stairs, being careful not to trip over the carpet and lose her footing. A terrified scream pierced the stillness of the manor and Reese felt her blood run cold as the sound of a struggle upstairs filled her ears.  
"Melinda!" Reese cried out, turning to race back up the stairs but she froze upon seeing the cruel features of Barbas materialise upon the stair above her, his eyes dark and filled with malice.

"Ahh, Reese, we meet again. Yet now..." Barbas reached out a hand and touched her face sending horrified shivers down her body and she felt bile rise in her throat.

"So sweet. So _pure_." He growled, running a long fingernail across her cheek and down to her neck before sending her forcefully down the stairs, letting out a heartless cackle as she toppled in a heap on the floor. Reese groaned and got to her feet, raising her hand to strike out with her telekinesis but Barbas raised his finger to stop her as the sound of Melinda's terrified wailing erupted beside her and she instantly saw the demon with Melinda in his clutches, a purple bruise forming along her jaw and her nose bleeding.

"You _will _bend to me, Reese. Or she _dies_." Barbas snarled as the demon produced a sharp athamae from his belt and held it against Melinda's throat.

"No, don't!" Reese instinctively cried out, clutching at the legs of her jeans to stop her from raising her hands.

"All I wanted was _you_, Reese. You know that. You're all I _ever_ wanted." Barbas said in a low, dangerous voice, spittle spraying from his mouth as he spoke. He pulled back his cloak and in his lanky fingers he held the sharp blade of an athamae, its hilt black and covered in inscriptions. Reese saw Melinda's hands come up before she could try to stop her and an explosion rippled across Barbas and he stumbled back slightly though otherwise was unharmed. The demon pressed the blade tightly against Melinda's throat as blood began to trickle down her neck as every breath she took forced the knife closer to her skin.

"Melinda, no!" Reese called out and when Melinda looked up into her eyes she saw the decision that Reese had already made.

"Reese, no, you _can't_!" Melinda said, her voice choking up with tears even as she tried to say the words.

"Mel, _trust_ me. Please. Promise me you'll do what I ask." Reese said to her, her tone so determined, so sure of herself. Even in such a hopeless situation she stayed strong, knowing the one thing that could change everything and willing to do it to see Melinda safe. Anything to see her family safe. Tears clouded Melinda's vision as she shook her head, tried to protest, to say "no, I won't let you" but the words wouldn't come.

"_Promise me_." Reese said again and Melinda saw the resolve in her eyes. She knew that fate had led her here and that there was no way around the situation. She let her eyes drop, feeling the sting of the dagger at her throat and knowing that this was the only way but not being able to accept that.

"So _touching_. You humans make me sick." Barbas spat, inching toward Reese again but this time she didn't flinch away, standing her ground though her eyes were filled with terrified tears, afraid of the unknown. And suddenly afraid of dying. She closed her eyes and let one thought overtake her, wrapping her in warmth and comfort for that mere moment in time. The feel of Chris' lips against her own, the feel of his strong and safe arms wrapped around her, wrapped around her heart and soul, whispering sweet nothings and reassurance, making her heart glad.

Reese smiled then, let the tears spill down her cheeks, felt the evil, maniacal hand clutching her shoulder hard, the fingers digging deep into her flesh until the sudden force of overwhelming white hot pain consumed her abdomen, knocking all the breath out of her and forcing her forward, her legs trembled and gave out but still Barbas trapped her in his grasp, pushing the dagger further, twisting until black dots filled her vision and her head began to swim. Reese let her head hang like a rag doll at his side feeling blood rising in her throat, crimson spit dribbling from her lips as the effort of breath started to become to much. She let out a tired wheeze, her whole body shuddering as screaming filled her ears.

Barbas spun her in circles, his ecstasy clearly too great for him to contain and he danced her around the room like a lifeless corpse as her will to live began to slip away. She heard someone calling, calling her name and the sound of a struggle. Silence enveloped her every thought but beneath the haze of her death she saw the blood smeared across Barbas' hand and watched as he touched the warm liquid to his lips and licked them hungrily before purring, "A witch's blood. So _pure_."

Reese felt the hot metal remove slickly from her gaping wound, felt the wetness and cold against her singlet grow as Barbas pushed her to the wall, letting her sink down to the floor in a heap, her head lolling forward of its own accord as ragged breaths escaped her lungs, the sound of gurgling blood and suffering filling the quiet room. Reese tried to see, her vision clouded by black spots and tears but as she looked up for the last time she saw a woman turn around momentarily to face her, a cruel grin creeping across her full lips before Barbas began shouting at her, something about "not being seen" and that "they were coming" before the woman disappeared from the manor.

Reese saw Barbas stare down at her one last time, savouring the death of a witch and the death of an enemy. She felt the world begin to swirl, felt her vision shudder and fade as her blood filled lungs tried desperately to breath. With her last ounce of strength, Reese muttered the one thing, the only thing she thought of in her last moments, just one name, before she breathed no more.

**Please don't hate me!! Urgh, this chapter was so sad to write but don't you worry, this isn't the end I promise. Definitely one of the hardest chapters I've written so far.**


	21. Forlorn

_Meanwhile in The Underworld..._

"Duck!" Piper hollered as another fireball descended down upon them. Chris and Phoebe dropped to the ground just in time to see a ball of fire whiz over their heads before it exploded against the wall of the spacious cavern. Piper reappeared around the corner and threw up her arms, instantly enveloping the demon in a fiery explosion. The last demon, a lower level demon cowered into the far corner of the chamber, blood running from his nose and mouth and a blistered wound across his chest, making him pant as he tried to breath in, tried to sliver away unnoticed but the Halliwell family had him surrounded. The demon grasped at his chest with his arm, attempting to squeeze further back into the hollow of the wall, fear clearly written in his eyes before he blurted out, "You're too late!"

Piper walked calmly across the room, arms folded across her chest and asked simply, "Too late for what?"

The demon didn't reply, only squeezed his lips together stubbornly and let out a breath in a low hiss. Piper sighed in agitation and froze the demon before unfreezing his head, smiling slightly at the startled expression that had come across his face at his sudden inability to move.

"Wh-what are you doing?" The demon cried out, his voice filled with fear despite himself.

"Tell us what we want to know." Piper engaged dangerously, her voice hot with impatience and her eyes glowing in the fire light.

"Or _what_? You'll kill me? That is nothing compared to what Barbas would do to me if I betrayed him." The demon replied, spitting out the words like venom, his mouth turned up in a sneer.

"Or this." Wyatt answered simply before raising his arms and blowing off the demon's hand, sending a chorus of agonising shrieks through the spacious cavern as Chris came to stand beside his brother, his eyes fiery and his jaw set stubbornly.

"Okay, okay!" The demon cried out in alarm, clearly giving in.

"Barbas twisted the premonition, so you'd come looking for him here. He wanted you out of the way." The demon explained quickly, his breathing ragged as pain swarmed through the remnants of his hand.

"That's not possible. I _saw_ Reese die, I felt her pain!" Phoebe argued, her eyes afraid and unsure as Paige took her hand comfortingly.

"He only twisted it so you would come here. The rest of the premonition was correct." The demon explained in an impatient growl before the weight of his words finally sank home.

"She's _dead_ and there's nothing you can do to stop it! You're _too late_!" The demon spat, sucking in aggrieved gasps of air through his teeth. Piper turned to Chris, seeing his face a ghostly shade of grey and his hands clenched into tight fists before he dissipated into blue and white lights with Wyatt following close behind him.

The Halliwell manor was soundless. The ticking of the grandfather clock the only meagre noise shattering the deadly silence surrounding him. Chris let his echoing foot falls lead him down the front hall of the manor as time seemed to pass like an eternity, his feet faltering as he made his way around the corner, hearing the familiar jingle of orbs joining him in the corridor. The soft sound of weeping made his stomach sink and when he finally peered around the crook in the wall, the sight before him made Chris fall to his knees.

Melinda lying unconscious across the room, a pillow propping her head and purple bruising marring her temple. Glass was shattered across the floor and the rug was upturned and spattered with blood. But the one thing that tore Chris apart was the sight of his Dad against the wall, stroking someone's face and they were pale and unmoving, lips blue in death and covered in blood. Chris felt his knees hit the floor as nausea instantly washed over him, his head swimming and his voice choked up and useless. He grasped at the wall for support, crawling the distance between him and his father as tears spilt from his eyes, his breathing hollow and loud in the quiet room. He touched her face and flinched back at the coolness of her skin, her eyes closed and a thin line of blood trailing across her lip and down her chin.

Chris let out a devastated sob, taking her face in his hands, remembering the softness of her hair and its sweet scent and the feeling of her lips against his own, the feel of her against him, how they loved and how the fought to keep that love alive. The smell of metallic filled his nose and stung his eyes as more tears slid down his face until he couldn't see straight. Chris pulled Reese's body close, touched his lips to her forehead, placed a hand across her wound, his soul ripping into pieces at the sensation of fresh blood against his palm and he rocked her back and forth as his heart exploded in his chest, sobs overtaking him until he heard nothing else but the loud thudding of his heart in his ears and his forlorn howling.

He felt a hand against his shoulder, its presence almost indistinguishable against the numbness overwhelming him but when he looked up he saw his Mom's tear streaked face, saw the heart ache in her eyes and he let his father take the love of his life into his arms, his face similarly streaked with sorrow as the world collided into one great big mess. Chris let himself be tugged into his mother's arms as he let out all his sorrow.

Elsewhere in the room Wyatt sat in a heap with his legs up to his chest and his head tilted downward, his whole body stirring with racking sobs and Paige and Phoebe sat crying beside Melinda's unconscious form, Phoebe stroking her hair softly. The Manor was eerie that evening, the usual feel of warmth and happiness gone, replaced by a heart wrenching chill and the bitterness of bereavement. The Halliwell family had been undone and their sorrow had left them more vulnerable than they had ever been before.

**Please review!! I'd really appreciate some feedback on these two new chapters, I know they're a bit of a downer but there's still more to come if people are interested!! **

**alae-megallen**


	22. Guardian Angels

_One year later_

She felt the warm and gentle hand against her shoulder as she shrunk further back in on herself, her legs pulled tightly to her chest with her arms wrapped tightly around them, her head squashed downward and her eyes squeezed shut. She let herself slip away from sentiment, let the feeling of fire and screams comfort her even as the whispers filled her every thought once more. The hand moved from her shoulder to her hair, the gentle touch sending shivers down her spine. Somehow this was another one of their tricks to tease her, to lure her in and destroy her completely yet the sounds of torment faded away and a deafening wind stirred up out of nowhere and she lifted her head despite herself and locked eyes with a familiar face.

"Kalais?" She whispered, her voice quaking and distant as if believing she were still caught in a dream.

"Come my dear, we do not have much time." Kalais said simply, offering her hand and pulling the woman to her feet.

"Where are we going? What is happening?" She murmured, her eyes darting about her in fear and confusion at the strangely clouded path they walked, fog hiding the surroundings on either side of them. Kalais did not reply only grasped onto her hand tighter and led her further through the mist, her pace swift and determined, her footsteps as sure of the path as if she had travelled them for many years. She slowed when an Elder dressed in similar garb to Kalais met them on the path and he inclined his head slightly, a gesture of respect between those both in high power.

"Hunn, what have you learnt?" Kalais asked immediately, as of one in a great hurry.

"Two others are prepared to help with your cause. They are on the road as we speak." Hunn explained, his voice calm and fluid. He gestured with his hand further up the path where two other Elders, a man and a woman appeared from the thick mist and joined their group, nodding stiffly as they approached.

"Laina, Inal. We must begin immediately." Kalais went on, her words respectful yet still tinged with an undertone of impatience. The two gave curt nods before Inal spoke, saying, "We may only have the power to return her in mind and body, no more." Kalais sighed as if having already explained this before then turned to the woman standing a few stepped removed from them, her face haunted and her hands trembling.

"Then we must hope that she has the strength to overcome whatever she should face." Kalais said, her voice low as if she were reprimanding herself for something that was clearly out of her control. They could only do so much and even what they did was likely to call attention to themselves and risk their power. But this great injustice had to be undone.

"Then we are ready." Laina replied, her voice airy yet strong and she motioned for the woman to stand within their circle and when she stood at its centre they raised palm to palm and closed their eyes, the howling wind turning into a deathly silence, no breeze stirred and the mist grew thicker about them. The four Elders were surrounded in blue and white light, a sound much like that of soft rain on fresh dirt coming to her ears as she stood timidly within the circle of light and felt a strange sensation wash over her. Like walking from a warm room into the icy chill of winter, the feeling hit her hard in the face as frigid air filled her nose and her throat and her lungs burned with its cool quality. She felt sparks of power striking her all at once as an unbearable ringing filled her ears before her mind was swallowed by darkness and sound ceased.


	23. Return

Reese's eyes stung as she struggled to let her lids open. They felt weighed down by lead and as if she had been sleeping for a very long time. Her hands grasped at something soft beneath her, quilting and satin but a musty smell filled her nostrils and she coughed as the horribly stale air entered her throat, its taste damp and old. Reese's eyes finally focused but only blackness filled her vision and she wondered for a moment whether she were blind. She felt out with her hands, hearing the distinct thud as they hit wood on either side of her and when she pressed upward she felt the same smooth lumber against her finger tips and her heart began to race. Reese tried desperately to move, to sit up but the space was small and cramped and the little air in the box was becoming staler by the second. She attempted to push against the roof of her prison, felt it budge slightly as the sound of lose dirt filled her ears and the smell of clammy soil occupied her nose. And then Reese realised, an icy sensation instantly coming over her as thoughts and memories rushed back to her. She had died, she had been dead and buried til Kalais had brought her back. _Buried_.

Reese's instincts told her to scream and she instantly felt the terrified wail filling her throat, making her ears ring with its deafening sound. She pushed her hands against the lid again, trying desperately to lift it high enough so she could slip out but the soil above was blocking her way. She was trapped. Reese screamed again and again, fear overwhelming her til she felt her knuckles covered in blood as she pounded with everything she had, trying desperately to get free. Finally a crack resonated from the wooden lid and she felt her powers consume her, its sweet thrill felt so old and unfamiliar yet almost as if it were only yesterday that she had used them. She threw her hands out, focused her mind entirely on shifting the lid of the coffin. Again and again Reese threw her hands out until a loud crack filled the small space. She screamed again as moist, heavy soil consumed her.

Someone calling her name made Reese open her eyes, her head felt foggy and stuffed with cotton wool and her ears were ringing phenomenally as her head spun. Wet grass seeped through her clothes, a dainty cream suit jacket and skirt now stained with dirt and blood. She looked up then, feeling the large, heavy yet comforting hand resting against her shoulder and saw a face she did not expect.

"Sam?" Reese enquired. Her voice was low and raspy and it quaked as she tried to speak, her world upsurging around her with every breath she took. _Breath_. It all seemed to surreal, so far away that Reese had trouble remembering what her life had been like before. She remembered bits and pieces, certain memories and words but nothing definite. Reese sat up slowly and tried to pick grass and dirt out of her hair with little success before focusing her attention back on Sam, his eyes concerned and perplexed all at once.

"Reese, what happened?" Sam asked, his voice fatherly and laced with worry and Reese felt it hard not to jump into his arms and cry like a lost child, to feel safe and warm again. Instead she merely shook her head and Sam didn't pry further, knowing she either didn't know or didn't want to talk about it just yet. Reese felt a sudden pang in her heart, one that, for a moment she could not understand until a memory clearer than anything else rose to the front of her mind and she closed her eyes...

_"Marry me." It was a simple request and Reese smiled as Chris took the ring from her palm and placed it on the marriage finger on her left hand. She didn't say anything, only grabbed his shirt forcefully and planted a passionate kiss on his lips, feeling his strong arms wrapping around her before she whispered in his ear, "I'm yours always."_

She instantly felt tears falling from her eyes and she looked down at her hand almost expecting to see the beautiful silver ring but knowing it would not be there. She felt Sam's clutch across her hand and she looked up, seeing the concern in his eyes at the state of her knuckles. Reese flinched away and quickly got to her feet, wanting more than anything to be somewhere where at least something made sense in her life. The fact that Sam had saved her from her own grave was nothing less than a miracle but she couldn't understand why.

"How did you know I was here?" Reese asked simply, her back to Sam and her head down and studying her hands again. She felt Sam walk the few paces toward her until he was standing beside her, hands shoved deep inside his pockets and head turned to study her closely.

"I may have not been around much but you're still my charge, Reese. When you-" Sam choked on the next word, its feeling bitter in his mouth but he cleared his throat and continued nonetheless.

"When you died, I felt it. I knew the instant that you were gone. Just like I knew the instant you came back. You were all of a sudden there again. I don't know how to explain it." Sam said, ending his sentence with a shake of his head before reaching out his hands gently to Reese and saying, "Here, let me heal that."

Reese ripped her hands out of Sam's grasp and quickly shook her head "no" before turning and looking into Sam's vehement blue eyes and there he saw tears, a mixture of emotions flashing across her face.

"I need to see Chris." Was all she said and though Sam wanted to protest, the look in her eyes stopped him. Her gaze was haunted and her eyes glittered with fear and loss and a deeper sadness he didn't quite understand. Sam nodded simply and wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulders before blue and white light surrounded them, taking Reese home.

**Told you things would be getting interesting!! And this is only the beginning, what will happen next!? Stay tuned to find out :) Please review, I love to hear all your thoughts and comments on my work, I really do appreciate it!**

**alae-megallen**


	24. Love Lost

The Manor was silent as Sam and Reese entered the front hall and listened for the usual sounds of chatter and laughing and the smell of cooking or potion concocting but the only noise that broke the stillness was the eerie ticking of the grandfather clock. Reese sighed heavily and walked further into the Halliwell manor, shivering when she came to the bottom of the stairs and remembered the battle that had been fought here. She turned abruptly when the sound of a door opening caught her attention and she saw Piper walking quickly out of the kitchen, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail but when she saw Reese and Sam standing in the front room of the manor she froze, her face going pale and her eyes filling with tears.

"Reese?" Piper choked out, her voice quaking with emotion and confusion and her hands shaking wildly. It wasn't long before Reese felt herself being pulled into a tight embrace, felt the soft hands stroking her hair and let Piper's familiar scent wash over her as she closed her eyes and let tears slice lines down her dirty face.

"How?" Piper breathed against her shoulder, pulling her face back to look up into Reese's eyes, seeing the fear and sadness tearing her world apart.

"Kalais and a few other Elders. I don't know how." Reese explained, her words stammered as she fought to hide her emotions, to be the Reese Lawson that the Halliwell family knew and loved. To not be the undone mess standing before her but in her heart she knew that wouldn't work. She knew Piper would see through her facade of strength to her wilting core. She could see the damage in her eyes, the haunted look from spending too much time with her own thoughts, too much time away from life, saw the sadness ripping her soul apart even as she tried to mend over the scars already there, tried to pull herself together but Reese was tired and she didn't care to run any more. Piper instantly began fussing over her, remarking at her dirty clothes and the gashes across her knuckles, never considering why Reese was still in the same clothes she was buried in and why she was covered in dirt, nor the reason for the undeniable fear in her eyes. She led Reese to the couch in the front living area by the fire, its flames a hollow reminder of something in the recesses of her mind that she tried helplessly to forget. She stirred in her chair when Piper set down a warm mug of tea on the table by her feet but continued to stay quiet as she sat down by her side and tried to pull grass and chunks of earth from her hair, pleading with her to let Piper clean up her hands but Reese only refused and sunk further back in the couch, never once touching her tea until it went cold and unnoticed while Piper merely sat with her and stroked her hair, talking with Sam quietly about things that seemed meaningless to Reese. All she wanted was to see Chris' face, to know everything was going to be okay, to feel herself in his loving arms and feel the softness of his breath against her ear, whispering reassurances made only for her. Reese heard a deep voice calling out to Piper from the next room and her heart jumped in her chest at the sight of Wyatt moseying into the room, his eyes instantly falling to Reese's form, her hair matted and dirty and her clothes covered in smears of earth. His face was equally as shocked as Piper's had been and he didn't speak a word, only knelt in front of her position on the couch and caressed her face with his big warm hands, tears in his eyes and a relieved smile across his face. Reese felt all the emotions bottled up inside of her spill to the surface at the feel of Wyatt's reassuring hands against her face and the smile across her best friend's lips. She pulled his face toward her, making him rise and sink down on the couch beside her before he wrapped his arms around her shoulders protectively and kissed her hair as she placed her head comfortingly against his chest as soundless sobs racked her weary frame for what seemed like an eternity. Reese finally felt her emotions begin to steady and she wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up into Wyatt's concerned face as he asked, "Are you okay? What the hell happened to you?"

She bit her lip and furrowed her brows, trying to find the right words to explain this. To explain all of this. But a part of her didn't want to say the words. A part of her wanted to wallow in misery, hide somewhere warm and safe and never let this feeling ravage her again. She was too tired and sad to do this any more. Reese just wanted her life back.

"The Elder, Kalais. She said that my death was a great injustice that had to be righted. Herself and three other Elders combined their powers to bring me back." Reese explained but Wyatt knew she was holding something back at the haunted expression that crossed her face and the shiver that ran through her body.

"What else aren't you telling us?" Wyatt inquired in a low voice, his eyes concerned and his hold on her protective and comforting. The four of them were interrupted by the sound of the front door creaking open followed by two voices, one male and one female, both laughing happily and discussing something that Reese couldn't discern. When two faces appeared through the arch way leading from the hall, Reese felt a horrible pang in her chest and a hot sensation taking over her body as she let her lips part slightly and tried desperately to hold back her tears. Chris was standing looking straight at Reese, his expression a mixture of overwhelming shock, sadness and guilt. By his side stood a dark woman a few inches shorter than him, her hand clasped tightly in his. A note of shock and bewilderment flickered across her face before she looked between Reese and Chris in confusion and stepped closer toward him as an uncomfortable silence enveloped the room.

"Reese." Chris choked out, his jaw set stubbornly as he tried to hide his emotions but his eyes were glistening with tears. He watched as a look of sheer humiliation and heartache crossed her face, tears streaking her cheeks as she swallowed hard and got to her feet. Reese wrung her hands together tightly and for the first time he noticed her dirty clothes and the multitude of abrasions across her knuckles and he felt his stomach drop as worry and love for her filled his heart once more.

"I should go. Call me tomorrow?" The woman said in a small voice, looking up at Chris from behind her long lashes. Chris let a small smile cross his face before he nodded and squeezed her hand and watched until she disappeared down the hall and shut the door. He whirled back around, his expression angry and his lip trembling slightly.

"Is this some kind of _joke_!?" Chris spat, his voice loud and Reese flinched back at his words, obviously not expecting the steely gaze that fell upon her.

"Chris, what-" Reese began but he only shook his head violently and walked further into the room.

"Did they summon you? _Why_ are you here?" Chris asked, his tone still furious and his voice shaking. He gestured to his Mom and brother and Reese's whitelighter Sam as if to suggest that they had summoned her spirit and that she, in fact, wasn't real.

"No, Chris, please-" Reese tried to speak but he grabbed her shoulders forcefully and shook her as tears fell from her eyes onto her cheeks and her lip trembled as she suddenly became overwhelmed with grief and sadness. She had lost the one thing that meant everything to her, lost the only love that kept her going. Her heart was ripping into pieces at the thought of Chris being with anyone else but her. It had always been Reese and Chris, even before they became lovers. Even before he asked her to be his wife. They had been as close as friends could get, they had shared everything and more, they had been through so much. _Reese_ had been through so much. And now after all the pain, after all the sadness and death, she had been sent back only to have her heart torn from her chest by the only man she had ever loved. Those who would bear witness to her soul unravelling would know soon enough just how much she truly hurt inside. It wasn't a physical pain but it was agony in her chest as the fear of being left alone churned inside of her and her eyes grew distant and fearful as Chris' steely gaze struck her down.

"Tell me the truth!" Chris snarled, shaking her shoulders again and Reese tried to shrink away, tried to pull back but he held her in place and stared at her, wanting an answer. She became overwhelmed with a sudden anger, the throb inside of her unbearable and she couldn't keep her secrets in any longer.

"The truth? I was _never_ at peace, I was _never_ in heaven. Barbas _destroyed_ my world and sent me to hell to suffer eternally. Kalais freed me and brought me back to life, to my _grave_. I had to dig my way out of there! And all the while I thought of _you_ and only _you_." Reese saw the shock wash over Chris' face, saw his skin go pale and his eyes fill with pity and sadness and regret. Her voice stammered as tears soaked her face and her heart broke entirely before she whispered, "And now I don't know why I bothered." She left the room, left the comfort and warmth of the manor, knowing nothing would ever be the same and that nothing could ever repair her.

**She's back!! I'm sorry all these chapters have been so depressing but soon you'll find out the plot thickens again. I really like Chris but writing this chapter made me want to punch him a little! hehe. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think, I really appreciate all the support as always! Even if it's just something small :)**

**alae-megallen**


	25. Raging Storm

Thunder crashed overhead as lightning created static patterns across the blackest skies, rain fell in a heavy torrent, its drops stinging the bare skin of Reese's arms as the vicious sea air whipped about her, crashing waves and tremors from the waters below making her feel utterly insignificant amidst it all. There was no light glimmering on the horizon, the night was endless and time felt like eons though mere minutes passed as Reese's heart tore asunder, her rain soaked clothes and sorrow weighing deeply on her heart. It was hard to tell when her tears ended and the rain began, the sadness unending and the pain in her chest unbearable. Reese slumped to her knees as sobs escaped her lips, the sound dying as thunder cracked across the sky and the thumping of the waves against the cliffs below exploded in her ears. She saw the distant glow of orbs, saw his face as lightning flickered again overhead and when he approached her she looked up into his face and there he saw her shattered resolve, there he saw the light he had seen in her eyes for so long splutter and go out.

"How long was I gone?" Reese choked out, getting to her feet again and staring out over the black shadow of the sea, its ferocious pounding mirroring the emotions exploding inside of her.

"Just over a year." Wyatt answered simply, knowing there was no way to make this any easier on her. Reese would find out the truth one way or another and he felt it should at least come from him, someone she loved and cared about. She turned to him then, wet hair plastered across her face and her eyes dark and ghostly, her voice low and vacant as she said, "It felt like eons had passed by in the blink of an eye. I was trapped in fire, in pain, there were screams and they filled my dreams to the brim with things no one should ever have to see. I have the scars and the memories but everything before that was so hazy, so vague. The only thing I could remember as clear as day was him. I thought maybe the time that had passed in that place was different, warped somehow. That it had only been weeks... a few months at most. That when I came back, everything would be as it should be." Reese bowed her head momentarily before her eyes met Wyatt's again and he saw bitter resignation and knew she had finally given up. She had done enough, sacrificed her life and survived a fiery afterlife for over a year and now she had had all that she could take.

"I can't do this without him." Reese finished with a shake of her head as fresh tears glistened in her eyes. She gazed up at Wyatt again, saw the concern and love in his eyes as rain plastered his usually curly hair against his head, his clothes just as saturated as her own, his face lighting up every now and then with bright flashes of lightning from the storm raging around them.

"You can, Ree. You _have_ to." Wyatt said, his belief in her so strong that Reese almost smiled.

"Come home. _Please_?" He begged, looking up at the threatening sky and shivered in his rain soaked clothes.

"I can't be there right now, Wyatt. It's too hard." Reese explained with a shake of her head, crossing her arms over her chest, trying desperately to eliminate the bone chilling cold that have begun to defeat her.

"Then let me take you someplace safe." Wyatt said, his tone reassuring and when Reese nodded he wrapped her in his arms and orbed them to the place he knew Reese would be able to try and heal.


	26. Moving Forward

"Are you sure we need this many chocolate chips?" Reese asked sceptically, raising an eyebrow and gesturing to the large bowl piled high with chocolate chips. Phoebe continued to bustle around the cosy kitchen, gathering an egg from the fridge which she cracked into the bowl and began mixing energetically while Prudence sat on a stool beside Reese, rolling balls of dough between her palms before placing them on a cooking tray.

"Are you kidding!? They're not called choc chip cookies for nothing!" Phoebe explained with a smile, continuing to mix the ingredients together before sprinkling a considerable amount of chocolate chips through the mix.

"Is she always like this?" Reese whispered, covering her mouth with her hand and leaning toward Prudence so that Phoebe wouldn't overhear them. Prudence smirked in amusement and nodded before grabbing another handful of dough.

"I heard that!" Phoebe said with a scowl, stopping her stirring to place her hands on her hips in annoyance. The doorbell sounded from down the hall and Phoebe looked up and wiped her hands on her apron before removing it over her head. She turned back to her daughter and Reese, saying, "You two keep rolling dough!" Prudence rolled her eyes at her mother's overly cheery nature and scooted back her stool, heading for the sink to wash her hands, clearly having had enough of cookie making.

"I think she's trying to sabotage me. At this rate I'm going to end up as fat as a house!" Prudence said in exasperation, wiping her hands on a tea towel. Reese let a small smile cross quickly over her lips before she said, "Well at least no one will ever mess with you again for fear of being squashed." Prue let out a pleased laugh before swatting at Reese's arm playfully.

"Thanks for the moral support!" She said with a frown, looking up when her Mom re-entered the kitchen, her usual chipper nature gone and sporting a grimace.

"Prue, honey, can you go upstairs and finish your homework?" Phoebe said simply, her voice sounding tired and almost sad.

"But Mom, it's _Saturday!_" Prue complained, hands on hips.

"Come on, sweety, I'll give you a hand." Phoebe continued, placing an arm around Prue's shoulder as she pushed through the kitchen door and that's when Reese spotted him. Chris was standing in the front hall, his expression pensive and unsettled. He ran a hand nervously through his hair, his eyes finally falling on her sitting at the bench in the kitchen, her shoulders hunched and her hair pulled up into a messy bun.

"Hi." Chris said simply, entering the kitchen and standing awkwardly before her, his hands shoved deep in his jean pockets. His hair was shorter than when Reese had seen him last, spiked slightly at the front and he had day old stubble across his chin. She felt the pang in her chest return, wishing he would kiss her, tell her this was all a dream, that the past three weeks was some kind of trick that the whispering voices in hell had conjured up for her to suffer. Reese also felt the overwhelming urge to run from him, to leave if only to make this pain stop. Every time she saw him was merely another reminder that she couldn't have him and that tore her apart.

"Hello." Reese finally said in a soft voice, avoiding his eyes and biting her lip apprehensively. Chris took in the familiar sight of the woman before him, the way her brown eyes warmed whenever he was in the room, they way her hair always smelt like flowers but he also saw the dark shadows beneath her eyes and noticed the slimness of her frame and he felt a sharp pang of worry and regret fill his gut.

"I wanted to see how you were." Chris said, finally gaining the courage to say something in between their awkward silence. Reese looked up at him strangely as if she were thinking about what to say before she answered, "I'm good."

Her words were hollow and monotonous, as if she had said the same thing many times previously and he knew she hadn't meant it. Reese looked down at her hands in her lap, letting out a tired sigh before asking, "Does she make you happy?"

"What?" Chris couldn't believe what he was hearing and didn't know what to say.

"Does Bianca make you happy?" Reese asked again, her voice choking up as she said his girlfriend's name, refusing to look at him.

"Yes, she does." Chris answered simply and Reese nodded but said no more. Bianca had come into his life just six months ago, her happiness and caring nature refreshing after so long of endless demon hunting, his grief over Reese's death consuming him completely. He had been entirely devoted to hunting down Barbas but he had never found him. But what he had found was a chance to start over, a chance to love again. And though Bianca was human, his feelings for her didn't change. She was what he had been looking for in a time of his life when everything seemed so messed up and he cherished that. Cherished the normality she gave his life. Bianca had known his secret for over three months, embracing it with a strong will and understanding and listening when he needed to vent. She had turned his life around for the better and he had grown to love her.

"Do you love her?" It was as if Reese had read his mind and when he looked up at her again he saw the dire need to know and he nodded and answered, "Yes, I do." Chris moved closer to Reese, tried to touch her shoulder, anything to comfort her, anything to help reassure her that in time everything would be okay but she flinched away and stood up from her stool, stepping back from him while saying, "Don't. I can't have you walking in and out of my life as you please. This is too _hard_. I love you, Chris, I can't pretend everything isn't falling apart. I can't pretend I'm okay. For god's sake please just _leave_." Reese said, her eyes brimming with heart broken tears and her lip trembling wildly. Chris shook his head in bewilderment, his eyes sad and confused. Just seeing him was destroying Reese all over again. Those long, hard three weeks she had spent trying helplessly to rid his memory from her mind had been undone. Her every effort to forget had unravelled and now all she could think about was him, the unbearable ache in her heart exploding inside of her at the realisation that he would never be hers again.

"Reese, please, I-"

"Don't you understand? Just seeing you is tearing me apart. I hurt _so badly_. I can't do this any more. Please, just leave, _now_." Reese's voice was soft and tired, her eyes again haunted and distant as tears spilt onto her cheeks. Chris nodded, understanding and wanting to make this as easy on Reese as possible. It was hard for him too. He had loved her more than he ever thought he could love anyone. He had loved her so fiercely that he had nearly destroyed his own life in order to get his revenge. But there was nothing he could do to help her, nothing he could do to ease her pain. It was something Reese would have to figure out on her own. Chris began to orb, catching the last echoing over her voice as it filled his mind.

"And don't ever come back."


	27. Blame

Orbs filled the Halliwell manor before Wyatt and Reese appeared in the kitchen. She looked around her quickly while asking, "Are you sure he isn't here?"

Wyatt rolled his eyes and nodded before stepping out of the kitchen with Reese in toe.

"Yes, I'm sure. Stop fussing." Wyatt assured her, grabbing her hand and leading her up the familiar stairs of the manor before stopping in front of a closed door.

"I'll be downstairs if you need anything." Wyatt said in a low voice and she nodded and watched him disappear down the hall. Reese hesitated momentarily before knocking, stepping back and nibbling on her lip nervously as she waited for the door to open. The handle turned and Melinda peeked her head out, her eyes puffy and red and her hair a mess. When she saw Reese standing outside of her room, she pushed the door all the way open and wrapped her arms tightly around Reese's neck, sniffling as tears clouded her eyes, her body shaking with guilty sobs.

"I'm so sorry I left things the way I did." Reese said into Melinda's ear before kissing her hair and rubbing her back reassuringly.

"I just couldn't be here, Mel. I had to figure things out." She continued as Melinda finally pulled back, wiping tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her jumper and nodding before another wave of tears began running down her face.

"I'm _so_ sorry, Reese. I should have stopped him. I should have done _something_ to help you." Melinda said all at once, her eyes filled with responsibility and regret.

"No, Mel, this was _not_ your fault. You did the right thing. You did the only thing you _could_ do." Reese tried to explain, pushing matted hair back from Melinda's tired face and grabbing her hand, pulling her to lie down on her bed where Melinda rested her head against Reese's shoulder and wept openly.

"I was so _scared_, Reese. So scared he would kill me too. I'm so sorry I didn't stop him." Melinda mumbled against Reese's shoulder, tears staining her top as she continued to sob, letting out all her guilt and worries, everything she had been holding in for the past year. All the pain and all the regrets, how she wished every second of everyday that she could have done more, that Reese could still be here with her. And when she had finally found out that Reese had been returned to them the guilt had again welled up inside of her, tormenting her those three long weeks she had spent wondering whether Reese's absence from the Halliwell manor had been her doing and whether she blamed her for dying.

"Melinda Halliwell, stop blaming yourself this instance!" Reese chided, squeezing her shoulders reassuringly.

"But-" Melinda tried to protest.

"No buts! You did everything you could in such a hopeless situation. I never _ever_ blamed you for this, Mel. It was my destiny, it was something neither of us could change, okay?" Reese said, pulling Melinda into a sitting position so they were both leaning against the headboard of her bed, her arm still slung protectively across Melinda's shoulders. She looked back up at Reese and saw the sincerity and love shining in her eyes and she couldn't help but smile.

"I'm just so glad your back, Reese. It was so hard without you here." Melinda said, squeezing her friend's hand tightly.

"Oh, c'mon, you had Brad. Give the guy some credit!" Reese said, her lips curling up into a cheeky grin and Melinda glared at her and punched her shoulder.

"I can't believe Wyatt spoilt the surprise!" She replied in disbelief, shaking her head.

"Talking about me?" Both Reese and Melinda looked up and saw Wyatt peaking his head in the open door, a smug grin across his face.

"Wyatt Matthew Halliwell, were you eavesdropping on us!?" Reese queried, a mock hurt expression coming across her face.

"Would _I _do such a thing?" Wyatt said, a shocked expression crossing his face. Both Melinda and Reese merely rolled their eyes before the three of them squashed in together on Melinda's bed and chatted and laughed like Reese had never been gone.


	28. As The Memories Unfold

_3 months later_

Reese flipped to the next page of her book and sighed, absently taking a sip of her coffee and trying to drown out the bustle of the city around her. The cafe was small and warm though Reese had preferred to sit outside in the fresh air and enjoy the feel of the sun against her back as she read.

"Reese?" Reese looked up at the sweet female voice calling her name and saw Bianca smiling down at her. She tried to smile back but found it hard to be sincere, not finding it particularly easy to be around her ex-fiancé's girlfriend. It all sounded utterly strange and felt just as wrong as it always had, though time had helped Reese begin to assemble some form of a life. She had a job working as a photographer for a small magazine in the city and had begun to rent a loft not far away from the coffee shop she was currently sitting in. Reese was as determined as ever to continue her martial arts training and had begun spending three nights a week practising her Kodo and Karate.

"Hi." Reese finally greeted, trying her hardest to smile.

"Can I sit?" Bianca enquired and Reese nodded, watching as she pulled out a chair and sat, draping her bag over the arm and sitting back with a sigh.

"Do you want a coffee?" Reese asked, trying to make conversation but Bianca shook her head and smiled in thanks.

"No thanks, I was just passing by and saw you sitting here and thought I'd say hi." Bianca explained and Reese nodded again, feeling the tugging of pain at the back of her head, its dull throb new and unrelenting.

"So how is everything going? Melinda told me you found a loft just outside of the city." Bianca began, her voice happy and carefree, clearly not realising just how hard this was on Reese. Because she knew why Bianca was happy and what that meant for herself.

"Uh, yeah. Wyatt helped me move in a few weeks ago. It's pretty cosy but I like it that way." Reese replied, her mind clouding over momentarily as memories tried to pry there way to the front of her mind, images and figures, all blurred and disfigured. Something was tugging at her sub conscious, forcing her to remember just what was missing but it was just out of reach. The throbbing in her temple grew and she let out a groan despite herself and bent her head before clutching at it with her palm.

"Reese, is everything okay?" Bianca asked, her tone sounding genuinely worried and Reese looked up and gave her a reassuring smile before saying, "Yeah, I'm fine, just a migraine."

Bianca's brows drew near though and her eyes grew dark as she said, "Reese, your bleeding."

Bianca gestured to her nose and Reese wiped at it with the back of her hand, streaking the cuff of her shirt with blood. A sudden pang of fear enveloped her and she stumbled out of her seat and grabbed her book and her bag.

"I've gotta go." She muttered, not looking up and disappearing down the street as quickly as she could. Bianca stared after her with hard eyes.

_Yelling and childlike laughter rang happily through the Halliwell manor as the sound of small footsteps echoed through the front room, a three year old boy with shaggy brown hair giggling and running away from his cousin with an excited shriek. He let out a surprised 'oof!' as he collided with a pair of long legs and when he looked up he saw disapproving yet amused eyes staring back at him._

_"Hey, hey! What do you think you're doing?" Chris asked, placing his large hand over the boy's mop of shaggy hair as his cousin stopped upon seeing him and smiled innocently up at his Uncle._

_"Michael's a demon!" The boy said with a toothy grin, clearly amused by their game. Chris couldn't help but smile down at the green eyed boy before shaking his head._

_"Patrick Wyatt Halliwell, what have I told you about running in the house!?" Reese scolded, making her way into the front room, a baby girl on her hip, rubbing sleep out of her eyes and staring down at Patrick and Michael curiously._

_"Sorry Mom." Patrick said with a pout before wrapping his arms around Chris' leg and hiding behind him._

_"So you should be. You woke up Melinda." Reese said, walking over to Chris who kissed Melinda on the head lovingly and took her into his arms._

_"Hey bumblebee." He greeted with a smile, bouncing her up and down as Patrick stopped hiding behind Chris' leg and came to stand in front of his Mom who had crouched down to his level._

_"I sorry for waking M'Linda up." Patrick apologised, sticking his thumb in his mouth. Reese smiled and put out her arms, wrapping her son in a protective hug._

_"It's okay, honey. Mommy loves you very much." Reese said, kissing her son's hair before turning to Michael._

_"Sweety, your Dad's in the kitchen helping Grandma cook. Can you go give them a hand?" She asked and Michael smiled and nodded, turning and sprinting for the kitchen._

_"You _really_ think it's a good idea that Wyatt teaches him to cook?" Chris asked, an amused smirk on his face as he continued to bounce baby Melinda in his arms as she made soft cooing noises, her eyes wide and curious, taking everything in._

_"Anything for some peace and quiet." Reese said with a smile, pulling Patrick into her arms and kissing Chris lovingly._

_"I love you." He whispered against her lips and Reese smiled again before replying, "I love you too."_

Reese woke up suddenly, her head still throbbing and the doona tucked up to her chin as nausea filled her stomach. She groaned and looked up, realising Wyatt was hovering above her and had most likely woken her up.

"Wy, what are you doing here?" Reese mumbled, propping herself up on her elbows and rubbing her aching temple.

"Uh, you and I were suppose to go to Phoebe and Coop's for dinner. When you never showed I got worried and came here." Wyatt explained as Reese tried to sit up, wincing as her head throbbed phenomenally.

"Hey, you don't look so good." He added, his brows furrowing in concern at the pale quality of Reese's face and the pain in her eyes. He pressed a gentle hand against her forehead and she groaned.

"Just a migraine." Reese muttered though her head flared up with pain again as voices filled her mind.

_"You shouldn't be here!" Barbas snarled, turning to face the woman before him. Her face was merely a blur to Reese even as she tried with all her power to see who the woman was._

_"I wanted to make sure your plan had worked." She snapped back._

_"Go now, foolish girl. They're coming! I can't have them destroy this for me." Barbas ordered and she disappeared._

"Reese? Reese!" Wyatt grasped Reese's shoulders tightly as she groaned, her eyes rolling back and blood dripping from her nose. He let his gentle healing glow envelope her but it had no effect.

"We need to get you to a hospital." Wyatt said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and lifting her from the bed and into his arms.

"No, Wyatt, wait..." Reese mumbled, grabbing his shoulder as she tried to focus.

"There was someone else there the night Barbas killed me. A woman." She explained as pain enveloped her head once more.

"What?" Wyatt stopped momentarily and stared down at Reese in disbelief.

"Wyatt, I need to know who... Take me to Phoebe." She said in a rush and Wyatt didn't protest, only nodded simply and orbed them into Phoebe and Coop's home.

"Phoebe? Coop?" Wyatt called out, laying Reese down on the couch and stroking her hair softly as another wave of pain coursed through her temple. She heard gentle footsteps padding down the stairs before both Phoebe and Coop were kneeling beside Reese, their expressions worried and confused.

"Wyatt, honey, what happened?" Phoebe asked, noticing the drying blood coming from Reese's nose and the considerable amount of pain she was in.

"I think she's having a vision. Her memories are trying to push to the surface. She asked me to bring her here." Wyatt blurted out all at once as Reese mumbled in her daze, her eyes glazed and unseeing.

"Can you help her?" Coop asked softly, taking his wife's hand and she nodded slowly before taking her hands and placing them one on either side of Reese's temples and closing her eyes.

_"You shouldn't be here!" Barbas snarled, turning to face the woman before him. Her face was now as clear as day and she curled up the corners of her full lips and stared down at the witch at Barbas' feet, spluttering and dying in a pathetic heap._

_"I wanted to make sure your plan had worked." She snapped back, her dark eyes blazing with impatience._

_"Go now, foolish girl. They're coming! I can't have them destroy this for me." Barbas ordered and the woman took one last look at Reese, her eyes closed and her chest still before she disappeared in a swirl of particles._

Phoebe took in a startled breath and opened her eyes, her whole body frozen and shaking as Reese suddenly sat bolt upright on the couch, her eyes petrified and filled with anger, before her lips turned downward into a deep frown as a fiery hate consumed her heart.

"Bianca." She snarled.

**Finally the truth is revealed! Please review, I really appreciate everyone's kind words, it really makes writing this story all the more enjoyable :)**

**More to come soon!**

**alae-megallen**


	29. Fear for Fear

"We have to warn Chris!" Wyatt said, pacing in front of The Book of Shadows as Reese flipped the pages, trying desperately to figure out who or what Bianca was.

"I think Chris is probably safer not knowing for the time being. If Bianca finds out her plan didn't work, who knows what she'll do." Piper explained, standing beside Reese at the Book and trailing her eyes over the many demons and magical creatures they were attempting to narrow down.

"I agree with Piper. Plus we don't even know who or what we're dealing with yet." Reese stated, hands on hips and brows furrowed as she stared down at the book. Phoebe, Paige, Piper and Leo shared a sheepish look and shifted beneath Wyatt and Reese's suddenly confused gaze.

"What are you not telling us?" Reese enquired in a low voice.

"We know who Bianca is. We've met her before, a long time ago." Phoebe explained hesitantly, not able to look up into Reese's face, fearing the pain in her eyes.

"What? How?" Wyatt wondered out loud, a confused grimace crossing his face.

"When you were a baby, a man named Chris Perry travelled to the past to warn us of a great evil that had destroyed the future. We knew little about him, he guarded his secrets closely and only told us what was necessary to help him to track down the evil he was looking for. One day a witch came back from the future and tried to sabotage his efforts, using her enormous power to drain his magic and almost killed him. We later learnt her name was Bianca, his fiancé and that she was part of a coven of assassin witches known as The Phoenix." Leo clarified thoroughly, his face filling with pain and regret as he re-accounted his story.

"She's a _witch_?" Reese asked, her tone biting and her eyes blazing with anger. How could they have kept this from her when all the while Chris had been by her side, so close to danger and they had done _nothing_.

"I don't understand." She continued in a quiet and defeated voice, rubbing her temple whilst shaking her head.

"Who is this Chris Perry? What happened to Bianca? Is she the one and the same Bianca in _this_ future. God this makes _no sense_." Reese questioned all at once, filled with so much rage and distrust for the Halliwell's that she very nearly rushed out of the manor just to be away from them. But she needed answers, she needed to know and she needed to protect Chris at whatever cost. Just knowing he was in love with a witch assassin made Reese's blood run cold. Piper sighed heavily and touched her arm, biting her lip solidly when Reese flinched away from her and stood back whilst saying, "You _lied_ to me. _All_ this time and a witch assassin capable of stealing our powers was right under our noses. How _could_ you!?" She spat, tears springing to her eyes as her anger enveloped her.

"Reese, we thought she was human. She never gave any indication that she was a witch. We tried every spell in the Book to find out whether she was telling the truth or not and all of them came back with the same conclusion. Bianca was human and was no threat to us. Otherwise I would _never_ have let my son near her. Not again." Piper shook her head, setting her jaw in an angry grimace, guilt overtaking her and being so trusting so easily.

"_Again_? What the hell are you talking about!?" Wyatt asked, trying desperately to take all of this information in, his stance offended and his eyebrows drawn down into a frown.

"We found out later that Chris Perry was in fact, Christopher Halliwell. And our son." Leo explained and Reese's face went white and she swallowed hard, not believing what she was hearing and that they had kept such a big secret from them all these years.

"We never told anyone. We wanted to protect Chris' future so he would never have to know the pain we all went through. We wanted to protect _both_ of your futures." Piper continued, staring pointedly at her son who was still trying to understand everything that his parents were saying.

"What do I have to do with this? I was just a baby when all of this happened." Wyatt said, his voice shaky and uncertain.

"Remember when we told you that when you were very little, Gideon had kidnapped you but your father had stopped him?" Piper said, jogging Wyatt's memory and he nodded.

"We later figured out that in the future that Chris had come from, your father didn't find you and he didn't kill Gideon. Being away for so long from home changed you more than we ever realised until it was too late." She continued, her eyes filling with tears at the look that washed over Wyatt's face.

"_I_ was the evil Chris was sent back to stop?" He asked, tears in his bright blue eyes and a look of betrayal across his face. Leo nodded simply, anguish clearly written across his face at having to tell his eldest son that he had been evil in an alternate future, destroyed lives and was consumed by power.

"Your baby brother came all the way back to the past to save you. We all owe him a lot, though he doesn't even realise it." He explained, trying to make this easier on Wyatt but tears were flowing freely from his eyes as a great guilt washed over him.

"Wy?" Reese started, taking his hand as he cried.

"I need to be alone." Wyatt said and his voice was low and angry as he looked up at Reese and let go of her hand, orbing out of the manor, not realising until too late that Reese had tagged a ride.

They stood in silence on the Golden Gate Bridge, the night air frigid and making Reese shiver as she looked out over the lights of the city and the cars below.

"Wy, you're _not_ evil. I don't know anyone with a purer heart than you." Reese began, looking up into Wyatt's face with absolute sincerity before taking his hand and squeezing it.

"But what if I am? What if its been in me this whole time just beneath the surface and one day I'll snap suddenly and hurt everyone I love. I _can't_ live with that!" Wyatt protested, his face angry as more tears welled in his eyes.

"I know you better than that, Wyatt. All you've ever done with your life is selfless and good and that's not about to change." Reese said sternly and Wyatt looked up at her and finally nodded.

"Now let's go kick some demon ass!" She added and Wyatt couldn't help but smile down at her in amusement as he orbed them back to the manor.

Reese bit her lip in concentration as she stared back over The Book of Shadows momentarily before returning back to the cauldron and placing a few more key ingredients into the potion, stepping back as a large cloud of smoke enveloped her before coughing and waving an arm in front of her face to clear the mist.

"I think it's finished." She said with a grimace before stepping back from the potion and watched as Piper began bottling the dark liquid into vials as Reese grabbed her notebook and pen again, pacing the room and chewing the end of her pen whilst mumbling to herself softly, scribbling something down every now and then before continuing to pace. Finally she ripped out the page she had been working on and stuffed it into her pocket just as Paige, Phoebe, Leo and Coop entered the attic, clearly prepared for anything.

"I still don't understand why Barbas sent Bianca to get close to Chris. What good does it do him?" Paige wondered out loud, raising an eyebrow in confusion, still trying to comprehend why Barbas had gone to so much trouble all for this one plan.

"I've been thinking about it and...I think I know why." Reese replied in a small voice, her fingers gripping the insides of her jean pockets as she finally came to the conclusion she had been mulling over in her mind for hours.

"To gain a foothold in the Halliwell line. If she had ended up marrying Chris, if they had had children, that child would be one of the most powerful magical beings the world has ever seen. Barbas could bend her first born to his will and steal its powers. He would effectively have become all powerful and we would never have been able to stop him." Reese said all at once, her voice quaking just thinking about Bianca having Chris' child and the chaos that one act would have caused the entire world.

"It wouldn't be the first time." Phoebe muttered with a grimace, staring down at the floor as a pang of old pain momentarily filled her chest.

"Then are we ready to make sure that _doesn't_ happen?" Paige asked, tying back her orange hair into a sensible ponytail. Reese nodded simply, her eyes dark and single-minded, grabbing Wyatt's offered hand as Piper took the other. They began to orb out just as Paige and Phoebe disintegrated into blue and white light also.

They reappeared in a dank and dark room, the mere flicker of a torch against the far wall the only source of light in the room. Reese squinted against the dark, letting go of Wyatt's hand to take the potion that Piper was offering her before stepping further into the chamber. Blue orbs appeared behind them but Reese didn't look up but continued to creep through the room, coming to a small cramped opening in the wall and ducking to step through it before she looked up into Barbas' cruel face, an evil, toothy smirk plastered over his face.

"I've been expecting you." He said in a singsong voice as the opening behind her closed and a shield of power glittered across the walls before fading. Reese turned in shock, not having expected Barbas' attack but determined to end this once and for all.

"But I bet you weren't expecting _this_." Reese said, throwing the potion so the bottle shattered at Barbas' feet as a long stem of smoke rose up from the floor and encircled him. He only smiled coolly and chuckled at her ineffective potion. The cloud of smoke continued to curl around him before it slivered down his nose and throat as he tried to choke and cough, tried to get rid of it but it was no use.

"Compliments of _me_." Reese said with a snarl as Barbas let out a terrified wail and began batting at his arms.  
"Get them off of me!" He bellowed, trying desperately to remove something that Reese couldn't see. The potion had worked.

"What better way to destroy the Demon of Fear than _with fear_." Reese's tone was strong and determined, the calm quality of her voice chilling as she advanced on Barbas who was now screaming, "Shut up! Shut up, make them _stop_. They chatter, it's so _loud_!" He wailed, tearing out clumps of hair and waving his head to and fro in the throws of insanity.

"Did you think I wouldn't figure it out? Did you really expect to get a foothold in the Halliwell family without them discovering your plans? Without them _destroying_ you? You are such a _fool_." Reese growled, her voice rising as her anger tore herself asunder. He had destroyed everything she held dear, torn her world apart. He had sent her to hell and back only for her world to tumble down around her once more as her heart had been repeatedly broken by the one man she had always depended on. Reese had been stripped bare, the physical scars she never let anyone see the only reminder of the pain she had endured. Her torturous hell had seen her back whipped until the skin split, til dark purple welts covered every inch of the skin across her spine. She had wailed, pleaded for mercy but the strikes never ceased, nor did the pain. Death had been cruel but un-living in a fiery hell had been a worse fate. And it had _all_ been because of him. Reese gritted her teeth, letting a hiss of furious breath pass through her teeth as she tore the piece of paper from her pocket, memorising the words on the page before focusing all her energy, all her power on the one demon before her and then she chanted,

_Fear, foe, fire and throws_

_Evil of the world we know_

_Let your strengths become what's weak_

_Let your fear consume you _

_Rid this evil from space and time_

_Heed my rhyme,_

_Powers from the other side_

_Heed my call and hear my need_

_Spirits vengeful, foe and fear_

_Return this evil from whence it came_

_Consume him entirely in eternal pain_

Barbas thrashed his head in fearful tremors, screeching as the fires of hell opened beneath him, whispers consumed him as fiery hands grabbed as his terrified limbs, fire flaring up and enveloping as he let out one final ear splitting wail before exploding into fire, the shock waves sending Reese crashing through the hidden opening in the wall where she landed in a heap in the dirt, not even registering her pain as relieved tears filled her eyes. He was finally gone and he would never be back to haunt her. She was almost free of this pain.

"Reese! You okay?" Wyatt asked, helping her sit up. Reese smiled up at him, her face smudged with her dirt and tears filling her eyes.

"He's gone. He's _finally_ gone."


	30. The Need for Answers

"Kalais?" Reese called out, sitting on the edge of her bed, her hair freshly washed and her legs pulled up to her chin as a tiredness she had been holding back for so long finally began to consume her. One evil was gone and only one remained but Reese still didn't know what she would do when she told Chris the truth. Would he even believe her after so long of them being apart? Would he trust his new love over the old? _Did_ he still love her?

"Kalais, get down here! I _know_ you can hear me so don't you _dare_ pretend you have something more important to attend to. I need answers, _now!_" She called out angrily, frustration clouding her mind at the thought of everything upturning around her once more. Blue and white lights filled her room before Kalais' peaceful and friendly face stared down at her with an impressed smile, clearly still so happy that her plan to bring Reese back had worked.

"Reese, whatever is the matter?" Kalais queried, her voice calm as she sat beside Reese on her bed, smiling softly at her friend and touching her hair comfortingly.

"You know _exactly_ what is the matter, Kalais. Don't play the cryptic Elder with me. I don't have the time or the strength." Reese said, anger welling up inside of her though her voice was soft and shaky, unable to hide the sadness that continued to plague her days and haunt her nights. It had been so hard staying away from the most familiar person to her, the one she loved so dearly that sometimes it hurt just knowing he still existed and that she wasn't who he was thinking about. Reese looked up then into Kalais' eyes and saw the concern and guilt in her eyes, knowing that somehow bringing her back had had an effect on her that she hadn't expected. Kalais knew it would be hard for her, knew of Chris' new love and new relationship. She had been watching over them for so long that when she finally figured out who Bianca really was, the Elders had banned her from further contact with them and she had been powerless to stop them, powerless to intervene. If she had risked all to inform Reese of Bianca's plans then she would not have been able to help her with the battle ahead and all would have been lost. It was the sacrifice both her and Reese had had to make and the guilt ate at Kalais' heart every day, knowing the pain that Reese had gone through.

"My dear, I am sorry I have not come sooner. Duty has kept me away and for good reason, I promise you that." Kalais explained, touching Reese's hair again before caressing her cheek in a motherly fashion. She nodded simply, understanding that Kalais would not purposefully leave her high and dry unless there was a very good reason for it.

"I just don't understand how everything got so messed up." Reese said in a small voice, biting her thumb nail nervously and continuing to think about the one thing that had been plaguing her thoughts ever since she had found out who Bianca really was. How to vanquish her. Essentially she was a witch, which meant that killing her would be considered murder but in the same instance she was a very dangerous threat to the Halliwell family, to future witches and more importantly, to Chris. Reese knew that Bianca wouldn't slink away or disappear, this battle would come to a head and it would end one way or another. Whether Reese had the power to defeat her was another thing all together.

"Reese, my friend, I have watched over you for many a day and what I know is this. You have the strength to do this, my dear. I am more sure of that than I have been of anything else in a long time. I did not bring you back to give up so easily. Your strength and your love for Chris _will_ get you through, I promise you that." Kalais said all at once, continuing to stroke her hair. Reese let a small smile cross her face before nodding again and saying, "I don't know how I'm suppose to tell Chris that the new love in his life is an assassin witch. Especially coming from me. What if he doesn't believe me?" Reese wondered out loud, brushing loose strands of hair back from her face and sighing deeply.

"Trust in yourself, Reese. You have the _power_, I know you and I know what you are capable of even if you yourself do not believe it. Trust in it, trust in the _Book_. I must go, the others are calling me. Good luck, my dear. I will be watching over you." And then Kalais was gone in a flurry of blue and white lights. Reese sighed again and pulled herself to her feet, heading for the attic and The Book of Shadows, knowing Kalais' words had held a much greater meaning.


	31. Fight to the Death

Reese groaned in frustration and flipped another page, seeing nothing of use at all. She looked up to the ceiling of the attic, putting her arms out with a flourish and demanding, "A little help!"

She expected the pages of the book to flip by themselves like they usually did or a magical 'wind' to blow and the book to land on the page she needed but instead white lights swirled in an ark before the apparition of Penelope Halliwell was standing in front of Reese, hands on hips and looking mightily impressed with herself.

"Well it's about time you called for me!" She said with a smile and the corners of Reese's mouth curled up into an amused smirk.

"Penny Halliwell, is that you?" Reese asked, knowing it could be no one else for no one else could be that exuberant when they were dead.

"The one and only. Now, let me have a look at you." Penny said, coming to stand in front of Reese, touching her hands to her cheeks and smiling brightly down at her.

"I can't believe you fell in love with a Halliwell. Do you realise what you're getting yourself into?" She said, the acceptance in her eyes plain even as she spoke. Reese let a grin cross her face before replying, "I already know."

She let her head drop to stare down at the floor but she felt Penny's strong hand raising her chin almost immediately and she saw the tears in Reese's eyes and knew the pain she had had to deal with.

"Reese, I'm here for a reason. So that we can figure this out and so I can help you to defeat that awful witch." Penny said, her eyes turning into angry slits at mentioning Bianca.

"Awful, awful witch." She muttered to herself, shaking her head as she began to flip through the pages of The Book of Shadows. Penny stopped at the page on Phoenix witches and read the entry before shaking her head and grimacing.

"Barbas must have promised her something pretty powerful to gain her allegiance." Penny said before sighing and closing the book with a loud thud.

"Or Chris is her eventual bounty after everything has played out." Reese explained, her voice cracking as she said the words, anger filling her heart to the brim as thoughts of Bianca killing Chris consumed her mind.

"I don't think we're going to find the answers here this time. Bianca isn't a demon, she's a witch and a human just like you." Penny said, gesturing at her with a flick of her hand before tapping her finger against her lip in thought.

Reese wasn't about to give up on The Book after all the information it had provided her with in the past. There had to be something she was overlooking. She stopped on the Enchantment Spell page and bit her lip, mulling over a plan in her head that had begun to spawn before looking up at Penny who was still thinking, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"I think I have an idea."

"Chris! Chris!" Reese called out, hands on hips and her head raised to the ceiling as she tried to reach out to the person she wanted to see the least. It had been just that little bit easier to regain her life without Chris around to shake up the balance again. Her feelings for him continually clouded her reason without her even realising it until she was back where she had started and still so in love with him. A flurry of blue and white lights appeared in the attic followed by Chris' concerned face staring about the attic, seeing Phoebe, Penny and Reese standing beside each other and looking at him expectantly.

"Is everything okay?" Chris instantly asked, thinking something was terribly wrong if Reese was calling him after having said she wished to never see him again. Just seeing her made the familiar pang in his chest grow. Her hair was longer than he remembered, un-kept and tied loosely at her neck with a few wisps straying across her shoulders and her eyes were still dark and filled with a haunted quality that Chris often thought about at night when he lay so close to sleep beside Bianca, though ever wondering about Reese.

He couldn't help the emotions that continually welled up inside of him when he thought of her. She had been everything to him, his life and his future but she had been torn from him in the most horrible way possible and it had taken him a long time to get passed that. And finally he had rearranged his life, picked up the remaining pieces and all with the help of Bianca. Whether he would admit it or not, he owed her a lot. She had been the one constant in his life, always there to listen and to help, never judging his duties as a witch, understanding its importance all too well. Chris was startled out of his reverie when Phoebe spoke, saying, "I think there's something you need to see."

Chris let a confused expression cross his face, worried by Penny's watchful eyes and unusual silence and the way Reese couldn't stop fidgeting, biting her lip and twisting her hands together nervously as she tried to look at anything but him.

"What do you mean?" He asked simply, not taking his eyes off of Reese as she continued to squirm beneath his gaze. Finally she looked up when Phoebe took her hand and gestured for Chris to join their circle.

"There's something you need to see that only I can show you." Reese said, finally finding the courage to speak up though still avoiding his eyes.

"Reese, what is going on?" Chris asked forcefully but his eyes were soft and touched with concern and when she finally looked up at him he saw guilty tears in her eyes and a pain that made the pang in his chest grow.

"Do you trust me?" She asked, barely above a whisper. Reese extended out her hand to him and he took it without question before nodding simply. He felt her hand shaking involuntarily and he squeezed harder, trying to reassure her.

"I need to show you what I saw. It's something you need to see for yourself." She explained before closing her eyes. Chris and Phoebe mirrored her actions before white light glowed around the three of them and Phoebe helped patch a connection between Chris and Reese before removing herself from the circle and joining their free hands so they stood toe to toe, hand in hand, eyes closed and breathing as one. Reese let out a deep breath as tears filled her closed eyes, the feeling of Chris' rhythmic heartbeat thrumming through his warm hand causing a surge of uncontrollable emotion to burst inside of her. She tried to breathe normally, tried to focus as visions clouded her mind.

_"You shouldn't be here!" Barbas snarled, turning to face the woman before him. Bianca curled up the corners of her full lips and stared down at the witch at Barbas' feet, spluttering and dying in a pathetic heap._

_"I wanted to make sure your plan had worked." Bianca snapped back, her dark eyes blazing with impatience._

_"Go now, foolish girl. They're coming! I can't have them destroy this for me." Barbas ordered and Bianca took one last look at Reese, her eyes closed and her chest still before she disappeared in a swirl of particles._

The scene changed as a haze of cloud formed over the previous vision and was replaced with something entirely different.

_The walls were hot to the touch and trickles of sweat beaded across Reese's back, the salt stinging the open gashes across her spine as she huddled into a heap on the uncomfortably hot stones beneath her. The sound of tortured screams filled the space around her until all noise was blotted out by the hands clamped tightly over her ears. But the whispers never ceased, increasing in intensity until they formed into a voice she knew all too well._

_"Baby? Baby, I'm here, it's okay." Reese felt the soothing arm around her shoulders and the feel of his lips against her cheek, his smell intoxicating and the sweetest thing she had ever smelt._

_"Chris?" She mumbled though didn't look up, the pain too much for her to bear._

_"Look at me, Ree, _please_. I love you so much, I need you. Come with me." At those words Reese looked up but what she saw wasn't Chris at all but a faceless soul, its skin burnt and blistered, the scull bulging from beneath gristle and sores as it screamed in her face, causing Reese to cower further into a ball and cry as the hell around her continued._

By this point tears were streaming down Reese's face as her legs quivered and it took all her strength to stay upright, not to sever the connection. He had to see and he had to know the hell she had been through and the person who had helped bring that fate upon her.

_Reese's instincts told her to scream and she instantly felt the terrified wail filling her throat, making her ears ring with its deafening sound. She pushed her hands against the lid again, trying desperately to lift it high enough so she could slip out but the soil above was blocking her way. She was trapped. Reese screamed again and again, fear overwhelming her til she felt her knuckles covered in blood as she pounded with everything she had, trying desperately to get free. Finally a crack resonated from the wooden lid and she felt her powers consume her, its sweet thrill felt so old and unfamiliar yet almost as if it were only yesterday that she had used them. She threw her hands out, focused her mind entirely on shifting the lid of the coffin. Again and again Reese threw her hands out until a loud crack filled the small space. She screamed again as moist, heavy soil consumed her._

And then the last vision filled Chris' mind and he felt tears come to his eyes also as guilt, disbelief and sadness overcame his every thought and feeling.

_"The truth? I was _never_ at peace, I was _never_ in heaven. Barbas _destroyed_ my world and sent me to hell to suffer eternally. Kalais freed me and brought me back to life, to my _grave_. I had to dig my way out of there! And all the while I thought of _you_ and only _you_." Reese saw the shock wash over Chris' face, saw his skin go pale and his eyes fill with pity and sadness and regret. Her voice stammered as tears soaked her face and her heart broke entirely before she whispered, "And now I don't know why I bothered."_

Reese felt the last vision like a punch in the gut, her heart exploding all over again and grief and fear washed over her. Who had she been kidding to think she could get passed this? Reese had been and still was so desperately in love with Chris that not being around him had only delayed the inevitable. She felt the room spin around her as the glow enveloping them both dimmed then died completely and she opened her eyes. The room shifted with her as her legs gave way and she landed with a loud thud against the attic floor, her whole body shaking as she brought her legs up to her chest, burying her hands in her hair and pulling, the pain distracting her mind from the horrible visions that had engulfed her just moments before.

"Bianca?" She heard the disbelief in Chris' voice as he struggled to come to terms with the woman he loved being one of the reasons that Reese had suffered so. But what she didn't expect was the soft hands against her cheeks as tears ran freely down her face, her whole body rocking back and forth as her buried pains finally came to the surface. She looked up then, her vision consumed by concerned green eyes glistening with tears as he gazed down at her, completely transfixed at how right this felt.

"I am _so _sorry, Reese. Oh god, what have I done?" Chris said in a quiet voice, shaking his head and letting tears streak his face.

"I don't blame you." Reese said simply, barely above a whisper.

"But you know what needs to be done." Penny said from behind them, finally speaking up after too long in silence. Chris looked up at her, seeing the concern and determination in her eyes mirrored in his own and he nodded simply.

"I'm sorry, darlings but I have to go. I've been down here too long as it is." Penny explained simply, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Thank you." Reese said simply and Penny smiled at her warmly before blowing Phoebe a kiss and waving at her grandson before she disappeared in white lights.

Everything after that happened all at once. Bianca shimmered into the attic, her eyes blazing with rage and she threw out her arm, sending an energy ball straight at Phoebe who ducked, rolling into a corner just in time before the ball crashed against the wall. Reese was immediately on her feet, using her telekinesis to send Bianca flying back into furniture as Chris stood from his kneeling position and went to throw his arm out as Bianca stumbled to get to her feet but she shimmered out just in time, appearing behind Chris and sending a powerful kick to his jaw. He tumbled to the ground in a limp heap and didn't move.

"Sorry my love." Bianca said with a smirk before turning back to Reese, her eyes brimming with fury as she rushed at her, bringing her arm into Bianca's face with a powerful blow, knocking her back slightly before she responded with a sharp kick to Reese's jaw. She fell to the ground, rolling once before flipping back to her feet and throwing Bianca to the ground with telekinesis. Bianca turned from her position on the floor, conjuring a knife and throwing it through the air. Reese pivoted out of the way just in time before the knife plunged deep into the wall at the other end of the attic. Phoebe joined in the fight, throwing a high kick at Bianca's head, surprising her from behind but she was experienced and fast and she sent an energy ball at Phoebe which collided harshly with her shoulder, forcing her back into the wall of the attic with a loud thud, rendering her unconscious. Now the fight was down to Reese and Bianca, both knowing eventually that it would come down to this one moment.

"You are an able fighter." Bianca said, her breathing heavy from the fight but she was anything but tired. They both stood in fighting stances, light on their feet and ready for any attack coming at them.

"I guess I'm not as easy to get rid of as you thought." Reese said in a deep growl, grounding her legs into a low, centred stance and preparing herself for her next attack.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure." Bianca sneered before lunging at Reese once more, both of them matching each other blow for blow as their fight became increasingly more heated as the minutes wore on. Bianca pushed backwards, aiming an energy ball at Reese's head which she dodged only just in time, falling to her knees and producing an enchanted athamae from beneath her shirt and throwing it with all her might. Bianca anticipated her attack, shimmering further back in the room and catching the dagger by its hilt with an amused smirk.

"So _predictable_." She said, looking over as Chris groaned and stumbled to his feet.

"If I can't have him then _no one_ will." Bianca said, grinning evilly before twirling the dagger in her hand once and threw it at Chris.

"No!" Reese bellowed, her hands thrown out in alarm.

The scene before her ceased, the lights overhead dimming and all sounds both inside and outside of the room no longer seeming to be there, a deathly silence surrounding her. Reese looked over at Chris, the dagger frozen just in front of his face and his eyes filled with fear. She turned and saw Bianca, unmoving and her hand thrust out, eyes evil and determined.

"What the?" Was all Reese could think to say. She could feel the power exploding inside of her, slowly felt it beginning to zap her strength and knew she needed to act fast. She grabbed the hilt of the knife and tried to move it but it was frozen in motion as if stuck in thick mud and it took all of Reese's strength to turn the dagger, her hands grasping the hilt and the blade as blood ran freely between her fingers. She pushed hard until the dagger was facing the opposite way and heading straight for Bianca's chest.

Reese let out a long breath and closed her eyes, focused hard on willing time to turn again and sound suddenly rushed back to her ears and when she opened her eyes Bianca was letting out a startled scream as the knife stood out from her shoulder, blood staining the bare skin. She looked up in disbelief as Reese used her telekinesis to remove the dagger from Bianca's shoulder. When the hilt was safely in her hand it glowed a fiery red momentarily, enveloping Reese in light. Bianca put out her hand, awaiting the blue ball of electricity to appear in her palm but it never did and Reese couldn't help but let a pleased smile cross her lips, aware that Chris was watching the entire display in shock and confusion.

"Looking for this?" Reese asked, cocking her head to one side as she put out her hand and instantly felt the crackling of electricity against her palm. Bianca's face turned sheep white, alarm and fear glittering in her eyes. Reese threw the ball of electricity and Bianca screamed in pain as it consumed her entirely. Reese instantly felt the floor beneath her as dizziness overwhelmed her, her strength and powers zapped by such a powerful attack. She closed her eyes momentarily, forcing back the black spots dancing in her vision.

"Reese! Reese? Are you okay?" Reese opened her eyes as Chris' concerned voice filled her ears and she saw him gazing down at her in worry, a bruise forming across his temple but otherwise unharmed. She tried to sit up, her head still swimming and her ears ringing as she said simply, "I'm okay."

Reese smiled then, smiled up at Chris for the first time in what seemed like forever before pushing herself into a sitting position, Chris' protective arm wrapped across her back supporting her.

"I am _so _confused right now." Chris replied with a shake of his head though his eyes were clouded with an emotion that Reese couldn't quite read. She thought she saw loss, hurt and grief flickering across his face and she felt the all familiar pang in her chest grow once more as her eyes again turned cold and haunted and her body closed off to all emotion. Chris had just lost his new love, someone important to him and all Reese had been able to think about was the hope flaring in her chest at him being so close to her and so concerned for her.

But it had all been a dream. A horrible dream that never ended, never ceased, even in the bowels of hell this hope had only granted her sorrow and bitterness. Reese got to her feet, absently brushing Chris' hand from her arm, all the while keeping her eyes downcast and her face straight, no wanting him to see the emotions ravaging her heart on the inside. The anguish in her heart was becoming too great and Reese didn't have any more answers, any more explanations that would give her just a spark of hope to continue with life the way it was. If she couldn't have him then her life was destroyed, utterly desolate and eternally forlorn.

"I should go." Reese muttered in a soft voice and Chris barely caught her words as she stumbled weakly toward the attic door, her eyes cold and black and the bitterness radiating from her in waves. He watched as she checked on Phoebe's still form by the door, propping her head with a pillow and once reassured that she was going to be okay she went to leave. But Chris could not let her go.

He felt strange. Different. Almost as if a cloud of mist had lifted like fog from thoughts and emotions, as if his heart's true desire had been tamed for so long that the explosion of feelings that filled his heart and soul made him weak at the knees. The loss he thought he should be experiencing was void and the only thing he felt in his heart was passion. And it was all for her. Reese Lawson.

His heart tore apart as he watched the defeated slump of her shoulders as she grabbed her bag from the floor, silent tears glistening in her eyes as if she were afraid to let Chris know how she truly felt. How much pain he had caused her and how much grief and loss she had experienced and he hadn't been there to comfort her. In all the woes he had seen her go through, all the fear, the pain and torture, the heartbreak of losing him to Bianca and he had not been there. He had stayed away and he couldn't comprehend why.

Chris took the few steps to the attic door quickly, grabbing her hand firmly and turning her around to face him. Guilt washed over him at the defeated look in her eyes and the tears welled up in their depths as he touched her face gently.

"Don't." Reese choked out, the tears finally spilling over onto her cheeks as her lip quivered.

"I can't do this. Not again." She continued and Chris grasped her face more firmly between his palms and forced her to look at him. In his eyes she no longer saw grief or loss but an overwhelming passion and love, as if it had been there all along hiding beneath the surface, clouded by something else entirely.

"I can't lose you, Reese. I don't know why I ever let you slip away. Everything just seems so much clearer." Chris explained but Reese only shook her head, her face filled with anguish and tears flowing freely down her face. He brushed the tears away with his thumb and leant in, resting a gentle kiss against her lips, feeling her quiver against him with the desire to give in, to give up to him and be hurt all over again or to stay away, safe and heart broken but forever to remain emotionally void, blissfully consumed by fighting and loneliness.

"Chris.." Reese breathed against his lips, trying to protest, trying to stop her heart's desire while she still had control. Chris cupped her face tighter and kissed her more passionately, the taste of his mouth so sweet and so familiar yet so new and exciting all over again. Reese's thirst for him had been unquenchable and now to be so close with his lips against hers it was hard for her to even breathe, let alone comprehend the emotions tugging at her heart. Love, happiness and the fear of loss against bitter resentment, cold heartedness and the lust for something more. Always something more.

"Chris, I can't do this." Reese protested, pushing his hands from her face and turning away.

"You loved her, Chris and now she's dead. How can you be okay with that, even if she was evil?" Reese wondered, keeping her eyes downcast as the feeling of heartache began to consume her once more. How could she have been so selfish to let her emotions take control when so much was at stake?

"Because she Enchanted him." Both Reese and Chris looked up to see Kalais standing over them, concern washing across her face at the tears glistening against Reese's cheeks and the tugging of her broken heart. She instantly stepped towards Phoebe and let the golden glow of healing envelope her until Phoebe sat up with a groan and rubbed her eyes.

"What did I miss?" Phoebe asked, smiling up at Kalais in thanks before seeing Reese and Chris in close proximity on the floor of the attic and decided it was best if she left them to figure things out.

"Who wants coffee? Coffee it is!" Phoebe said quickly with an energetic smile and jogged out of the attic. Reese let an amused smile cross her lips before turning back to Kalais.

"Kalais, what are you doing here?" Reese wondered out loud, pushing herself to her feet and facing her.

"I have come to give you the answers you seek. Both of you." Kalais explained, her voice its usual calm melody.

"What do you mean, Bianca Enchanted me?" Chris asked over Reese's shoulder and when she turned momentarily she saw him standing behind her with a confused look across his face.

"Barbas and herself combined their powers to Enchant some form of medium. It could have been anything and all she would have to do was keep it on her at all times and the falsified feelings of love, friendship and happiness it expelled would bend you to her will, no matter how strong a witch you are. That is why when Barbas was finally vanquished you may have felt your true heart's desire begin to tug against the Enchantment as it lost strength." Kalais explained in depth, her face calm and yet concerned all at once. At the mention of Chris' heart's desire, she had stared pointedly at Reese, raising her eyebrows which only made Reese roll her eyes in disbelief at Kalais' obvious lack of subtlety.

"But that doesn't explain what their plan was to begin with." Chris said and Reese turned to him, sighing deeply before saying, "A foothold in the Halliwell family. To bear your child and to bend it to evil so it could rule the Underworld. The usual demon stupidity." Reese spat the last words as anger coursed through her just thinking of anyone but her marrying him, bearing him children and raising them in such a horrible manner. It was unthinkable.

"What was she?" Chris asked in a quiet voice and Kalais smiled at the loving exchange between her and Chris though neither of them noticed the affection radiating from their hearts, colliding so they stood as one once more. Apart they were powerful but together they were unstoppable.

"A Phoenix, a witch assassin. And for all intensive purposes, a human." Reese explained before bowing her head as guilt washed over her. Though Bianca had been evil and plotted with Barbas to destroy her and Chris' world, not to mention the Halliwell line, she still felt a tinge of remorse at having to resort to killing a human, no matter what evil they had committed.

"A fault which was not your own, my dear. Using her power for evil was her first mistake and she paid for it dearly. You cannot and must not blame yourself, Reese. You did only what you had to, to protect your loved ones." Kalais said, touching a firm hand against her shoulder in understanding.

"You two are meant for great things, Destiny is the path before you and you both must take it together, as it should be." She continued, bowing her head slightly as a smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.

"You are one subtle Elder." Reese muttered with a roll of her eyes and Chris stifled back a laugh and smiled at her.

"I speak only what glimpses of the future I have seen. What may come in your Dreams can only be decided by you." Kalais continued, looking straight into Reese's eyes as she said this and finally she realised why. Her dreams had been filled of late with the future, with love and happiness, with her and Chris' children and the start of the most powerful line of witches ever seen. They had been happy, _she_ had been happy.

"In time the Elders wish to speak to you about your new power and the rules that apply to it. This was one future event they did not anticipate." Kalais smiled as she said this, obviously amused by the fact that the Elders had not been all knowing for once. Even though Kalais was an Elder herself, Reese could tell she was different.

"New power?" Chris asked, stunned, staring at Reese in silent awe.

"Temporal Stasis. A power mastered by very few magical beings and a dangerous magic at that. Used frivolously, it can be very perilous indeed." Kalais made clear, her voice serious and obviously having had some past experience in the matter.

"You used _temporal stasis_!? How?" Chris wondered out loud, completely shocked and very proud of Reese for having such a powerful gift. She deserved it after so much had happened. He had always know she was different. He had always know she was special. Reese nodded and said, " I don't know how but I saw the dagger and I wanted it to stop and it did." Reese said with a shrug, clearly not understanding the importance of such a powerful gift.

"This gift is usually only cast upon those of great strength and ability. Those with the perception to see consequence before action. Those with a pure heart." Kalais continued and Reese couldn't help but smile and when she turned to look at Chris she saw his admiring eyes watching her closely and felt her heart opening up once more.

"I must go, dear one, I have stayed too long. The Elders grow anxious awaiting my news. Be safe, both of you. Remember, Destiny is waiting." Kalais said all at once before she disappeared. Reese turned back to Chris, keeping her eyes down cast as she fidgeted with her hands and asked, "What now?" in a small voice. She felt his warm hands caressing her face and when she looked up she saw in his eyes what she had been willing herself to see for what seemed like an eternity. His love and nothing more.

Simple, powerful and unending and for once since her return to life, Reese gave in to her emotions, stared loving back up at him and even let a small, peaceful smile cross her face before she felt his tender lips crashing against hers, pouring all his passion and love into her, wanting her to know exactly how he still felt about her.

That he had never stopped loving her and that she would never lose him. Chris pulled back slightly and stared into Reese's eyes, a playful smile tugging up the corners of his mouth before he said, "Now we continue from where we left off."


	32. Returning to Normal

The Halliwell family sat huddled around the dining table the following morning. A steaming coffee pot sat in the middle of the table half empty and they all sat sipping brimming cups and discussing everything that had happened with Bianca and how Reese had finally come up with a plan to defeat her.

"I'm still confused... you used the Enchantment Spell to steal Bianca's powers?" Wyatt queried, his expression baffled as he took a large gulp of coffee before leaning forward to grab the pot and refill his cup.

"Penny helped me to write a spell based around the idea of Enchantment. We used the 'to separate a witch from her powers' potion to counteract it. The athamae was enchanted so that whoever it drew blood from would relinquish their powers and be defenceless. We wrote the spell so that the enchanted dagger would only gift the stolen powers to a being of good, not evil." Reese explained in depth, her hands wrapped tightly around her mug of coffee, the warmth radiating from the terracotta beaker calming and simple.

"So that's why you got _me_ to stab you? So that the stolen powers would return to the enchanted athamae?" Wyatt asked, glaring over at his little brother for making him do such a thing. Chris only shrugged his shoulders and smirked at Wyatt, his face happy and carefree.

"Well, I wasn't going to stab her!" Chris protested, his arm slung leisurely across the back of Reese's chair as she pushed stray messy hair out of her face and took another sip of coffee.

"Well, I didn't want to either! It's not like I delight in stabbing my best friend!" Wyatt complained with a scowl, crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance.

"You two, stop it!" Piper piped up, giving both her son's one of her famous looks. They both quietened down though Wyatt still smiled smugly over at Chris and kicked him under the table.

"How did you end up managing to draw blood from Bianca anyway? Before she knocked me out with that energy ball she was officially kicking our butts." Phoebe said as she sat on Coop's knee with a similarly hot mug of coffee in her hands. At the thought of Phoebe being hurt, Coop squeezed his arms around her waist more tightly before replacing his empty cup on the table. Leo went to refill it and Coop smiled at him in thanks.

"I kinda, maybe stopped time." Reese explained sheepishly, biting her lip and staring up at the Halliwell's.

"Temporal Stasis!?" Melinda asked in utter shock, her eyebrows risen in surprise.

"I've been reading about it in some of my texts from magic school. Pretty much only The Angel of Destiny and The Triad held that type of power. And the Triad were a _collective_ power." Melinda thought about this for some time before she smiled excitedly and added, "That's so awesome!"

"And _extremely_ dangerous." Leo continued, giving his daughter a warning look.

"And extremely draining." Chris chimed in, remembering Reese falling to the floor in her weakness after using her new power.

"Well, I for one am extremely happy that Bianca is gone and that things are back to the way they should be!" Phoebe spoke up, gesturing at Reese with her coffee mug and everyone agreed.

"But for now, Reese, honey, I think we need to do something about that hair of yours." She added, wincing at the untamed mane of frizzy hair tied back from her face and Reese grimaced and tried desperately to brush it back.

"Sorry Pheebs, I think I had a few more important things on my mind than the state of my hair... Though it is pretty sad looking." Reese said, inspecting the ends of her hair and wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Well, we certainly can't let you get married with it looking like that!" Phoebe protested, getting to her feet.

"You _are_ still getting married, aren't you?" Melinda queried, clearly having been prompted by Phoebe earlier on as they both shared a conspiratory grin and stifled back laughter. Reese turned and looked at Chris who was smiling at her and he said, "As if you had to ask."

He pulled the ring out that he had kept on him ever since Reese had died and placed it back on her finger, the sensation of the cool metal against her hand felt so right and she couldn't help but smile. Everyone around the table smiled, congratulating them with raises of their coffee mugs before Phoebe tugged her helplessly to her feet, talking excitedly about what she should get done to her hair and what type of dress she would wear on the day. After deciding they would make a day out of it, Phoebe made Wyatt orb her home so she could change while Reese made her way back up to her room to get ready also.

When Reese emerged from her shower she found Chris sitting on the edge of her bed and she smiled and said, "Hey" before leaning down to kiss him softly. He pulled her roughly into his arms and deepened his kiss, caressing her face and neck with his soft hands as Reese moaned against his lips, trying her hardest not to give in.

"Chris, I would love nothing more than to stay here with you and continue this but Phoebe is waiting and...well, you and your parents need to talk." Reese explained, biting her lip and staring into Chris' eyes. She was now seated across his lap with her arms slung around his neck and he looked up at her in confusion and cocked his head before asking, "Why is that?"

He leant down and kissed Reese's neck lightly, sending excited shivers up her spine.

"It has to do with Bianca and why we knew so much about her. But I think it's up to them to tell you, not me." She explained, gazing into his emerald green eyes and watching the emotions playing across his face.

"It's nothing bad, necessarily but...well, you'll understand when you speak with them." Reese continued and Chris nodded and didn't protest which only made Reese love him more. He clearly trusted her enough to not have to ask. Reese placed a gentle kiss against his lips, feeling his teeth sink lightly into her bottom lip as his arms drew her closer again.

"Can't you stay?" Chris mumbled against her lips, his breathing deep and making Reese hot all over.

"I wish I could but Phoebe's waiting. And my hair looks terrible." Reese said with a mock pout and Chris chuckled softly and kissed her one more time before saying, "Don't be long."

When Reese returned from her long day of pampering with Phoebe, she found the Halliwell manor quiet and a note on the kitchen bench telling her that Piper and Leo were out and wouldn't be home til late. She padded softly up the stairs, her long locks now a healthy chocolate brown and cascading in loose waves down her back. Slung over her arm in plastic was the dress she had finally picked out and Reese smiled when she thought about how lucky she was to be marrying Chris. She dropped her bag on the floor by her door, hung up her dress in the wardrobe and changed clothes before peaking her head into Chris' room and seeing him lying back on his bed, his hands behind his head and clearly deep in thought.

"Hey." Reese said quietly and when Chris sat up he smiled at her, seeing her hair hanging in healthy waves, a happy smile perched on her lips and dressed in sweat pants and a singlet.

"Hey." He replied softly, pulling her into his arms before they lay back on his bed in silence, both just content to be and to feel the other's body so close.

"They told me everything." Chris finally piped up in a small voice, running his fingers lightly along the bare skin of Reese's arm and she looked up into his eyes and saw a mixture of emotions cross his face.

"Are you okay?" Reese queried in a concerned voice, touching her hand to his face, his day old stubble tickling her fingers. Chris nodded simply and smiled, bringing his lips down to meet her own with a passion and a lust that they both could not control. Reese responded to his kiss, pulling him closer against her as the world began to fade away. Chris buried his hand in her hair, running his lips along the skin of her neck and breathing in her scent deeply, overwhelmed by emotion as he ran his hands lovingly over her curves, hearing the distinct quickening of her breath as she bit down hard on his lip. Reese pulled Chris down on top of her, their bodies entwining in a way that seemed so right, the passion igniting in both their hearts til it exploded, overwhelming the two lovers in sheer delight. Chris absently thrust out his hand and the door slammed shut as they made love as if they had never been lost to one another.


	33. Forever Charmed

The Halliwell manor was bustling with the sounds of laughter and excited chatter as everyone took their positions. Flowers and vines lined the walls and rose petals littered the floor with burgundy. White silk was laid across tables and banisters and candles lined the corridors in amber light.

"Now, now everyone, we don't have all day!" Penny Halliwell chided, hands on hips as everyone hurried to get into their places before soft piano music began to play. At the front of the crowd of people, Chris and Wyatt stood waiting patiently. Wyatt bumped shoulders with his younger brother and asked, "Nervous, bro?"

"A little." Chris said but his face was anxious and he smirked as his big brother snorted and rolled his eyes. Whispers rose amidst the crowd and Chris looked toward the staircase, seeing Reese and her whitelighter Sam descending the stairs slowly. Chris couldn't keep his eyes off of her, as she locked eyes with him and smiled nervously. Reese wore a white silk dress, its front curving down in a v and slipping easily over her curves before plunging to the floor. Her hair was pulled back in loose curls and summer flowers were tucked behind her ears. As they both stepped down into the foyer, Sam squeezed Reese's hand and smiled warmly down at her before kissing her cheek and moving to stand next to Piper who already had tears in her eyes.

Reese moved to stand in front of Chris, feeling his soft hand reaching out to clutch her own before giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"You look beautiful." He whispered against her ear, letting his lips linger slightly against her jaw before they turned to gaze into one another's eyes.

"We are gathered here today to unite two souls as one. Do you, Christopher Perry Halliwell, and Reese Gabrielle Lawson join us here of your own free will to acknowledge the eternal and unbreakable bond shared by both of you?" Penny began, a bright smile on her face as she tried to subtly wink at Reese who tried to hold back a laugh.

"I do." Chris said.

"I do." Reese replied with a smile.

"You may face each other, join hands. Chris, you may recite your vows." Penny explained and Chris grasped both of Reese's hands tightly and pulled her close to him, focusing solely on her as if no one else existed in that moment of time.

"My beautiful Reese, I am yours always." Chris said simply before stroking her cheek. Reese beamed up at him happily, her eyes slightly teary with joy.

"And Reese." Penny said, gesturing for her to recite her vows.

"Chris, we have been met with the ultimate challenges, lost one another and fought so hard to keep our love alive. Even death could not keep us apart. Now we stand here today, a testament to how powerful our love is. I will never stop loving you, Christopher Halliwell, I am yours always. In this life and the next." Reese said, her voice wavering slightly and tears coming to her eyes. Chris brushed his hand softly against her cheek, using his thumb to wipe away a tear that had just fallen before kissing her brow softly.

"Here before witnesses, Reese and Chris have sworn their vows toward each other, with this chord, I bind them to their vows." Penny explained, using her magic to entwine their hands with the flaxen rope before smiling up at them both lovingly.

"Heart to thee, body to thee, always and forever, so mote it be." Reese and Chris said together, never once taking their eyes off one another.

"So mote it be." Everyone chorused.

"Oh for crying out loud, kiss her already!" Penny said with a wave of her arm and Reese smirked before Chris grasped her face in his warm hands and kissed her passionately. Applause and cheers rose from the crowd surrounding them, their close family and friends here to rejoice in their union. They had made it, through all the heartache and through all the memories, they had made it. And though their future was yet to be determined, somehow they knew, their love would always survive.


	34. I finished! A big thanks to my fans

WOW, I have finally finished it. This is very, very exciting! Please read and review, I love to hear everyone's feedback and it helps me to write better and keeps me going when I don't feel like writing!

The wording in the last chapter for the vows is NOT mine, it belongs to the Charmed universe, it is entirely there's so I just thought I'd throw that out there so I don't get in trouble!

I hope you all enjoyed it and enjoyed the journey with me. This has been a long time coming and I'm glad to have it all done and dusted.

Over 50,000 words, I am really stoked!

Now, considering devising a new story involving Jeremy Renner in some way or another but as of yet, I'm not sure, would love some feedback on that also whether it's in a review or a private message, I love getting messages! :)

Thank you again to everyone for your support, I really do appreciate it!

Alae


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